[Potential side-effects of oral contraception: hirsutism and hypertension]

Since we observed the development of hirsutism and hypertension in a series of middle-aged women using peroral contraceptive drugs, we tried to ascertain whether there is any correlation between body mass index, blood pressure and urinary elimination of a series of steroid hormones. Although most correlations tested were statistically insignificant, we found a statistically significant correlation between the systolic blood pressure and the sum of 11 beta-hydroxyandrosterone + oxoetiocholanolone + 11 beta-hydroxyetiocholanolone urinary excretion, as assessed by thin-layer chromatography of urinary 17-oxosteroids, using dansylhydrazine as a prelabelling reagent.