Plasma lipoproteins and fatty acid composition after "minipill"

A study of the effect of a low-dose oral contraceptive, Adepal (ethinyl estradiol and levonorgestrel, 30 and 150 micrograms on the 5th to 12th, 40 and 200 micrograms on the 13th to 28th, respectively) on the blood lipids, lipoproteins and fatty acid composition has been conducted on 13 young women before and after six months of treatment. All together, total cholesterol concentration did not vary; however, the high cholesterol values decreased whereas the low cholesterol values increased with the pill. Triglyceride levels increased significantly (p less than 0.001). High density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol decreased clearly (p less than 0.001) regardless of the cholesterol value at the beginning; low and very low density lipoprotein (LDL + VLDL)-cholesterol increased slightly, as well as the apoprotein B (Apo B) concentration (p less than 0.05). The lipoprotein electrophoresis showed intermediate bands (IDL) in 5/12 of the women after treatment. The three major classes of lipoprotein showed some variations in the fatty acid composition after the oral contraceptive; in any lipid class from any lipoprotein, the linoleic (18: 1 omega 6), arachidonic (20: 4 omega 6) and eicosapentaenoic (20: 5 omega 3) acids decreased whereas the palmitic (16: 0) and oleic (18: 1 omega 9) acids increased. Our results suggest that a low-dose contraceptive like Adepal produces, nevertheless, some significative modifications of plasma lipids and lipoproteins.