A randomized study of metabolic effects of four low-estrogen oral contraceptives: I. Results after 6 cycles

Healthy, non-smoking, normotensive, well-motivated young women were assigned at random to one of four different, commercial, low-estrogen, oral contraceptive products. Measurements of biochemical parameters were made on blood specimens collected from fasting subjects twice during the late pretreatment cycle, then again during each late treatment cycle for six months. All women assigned to one product (0.5mg NET + 35 microgram EE) dropped out of the study before the end of the fifth cycle, but discontinuations with the other three products were few. While numbers of subjects are small, the groups are closely matched and most metabolic differences are statistically significant. Products containing EDA and NET were associated with increases in serum total cholesterol and triglycerides, but decreases in HDL-cholesterol. In contrast, the LNG-containing preparation produced significantly less effect on these tests. A similar pattern was seen with a range of blood coagulation and fibrinolytic factors, Minimal alterations were seen with the LNG preparation, while those containing NET or EDA showed marked increases in factors I. VII, VIII, X and plasminogen, associated with a decrease in antithrombin III. It is suggested that differences in the metabolic impact of the various commercially available low-estrogen preparations, combined with effects on intermenstrual bleeding, allow a choice of the progestogen component most suitable for general use.