Metabolic effects of two triphasic formulations containing ethinyl estradiol and dl-norgestrel

The metabolic effects of two triphasic oral contraceptive (OC) preparations containing dl-norgestrel (dlN) and ethinyl estradiol (EE) were studied in young women. The marked difference in the two preparations was in the progestogen content, allowing the study of the metabolic effects of high and low progestogen in oral contraception. The results suggest that high progestogen increases serum sodium, potassium, blood urea nitrogen, creatinine, total protein, albumen, and lactic dehydrogenase. An increase in aspartate transaminase and a decrease in alkaline phosphatase were probably estrogen-related. High progestogen significantly reduced the fasting blood glucose levels (p less than .001). Both preparations significantly increased the levels of cholesterol and triglycerides in women who had not taken OCs for 3 or more months, and with the low progestogen preparation these increases are dissimilar to the effects reported in the triphasic preparations containing levonorgestrel.