Abstract
The effects of the low-dose oral contraceptive combination 0.150 mg desogestrel plus 0.020 mg ethinylestradiol (EE) on lipid metabolism was investigated in two independent studies. In one study the effects of this preparation on lipid parameters in a group of 10 women were compared with those of a triphasic levonorgestrel plus EE preparation in a group of 13 women. In a second study the effects of 0.150 mg desogestrel plus 0.020 mg EE on the lipid composition of VLDL, LDL, HDL-2 and HDL-3 were investigated in a group of 10 volunteers. The assessments were made in blood samples taken before treatment, after 3 treatment cycles and one or two cycles after treatment was stopped. The desogestrel preparation induced an increase in triglycerides, phospholipids and apolipoprotein B. HDL-cholesterol did not change, but the structural parts of the HDL particle, apolipoprotein A-I and phospholipids, showed a marked increase in the group treated with the desogestrel preparation. In the comparative study there was no difference between the combination 0.150 mg desogest-reI+0.020 mg EE and the triphasic levonorgestrel+EE preparation. The lipid compositions of VLDL, LDL, HDL-2, HDL-3 and VHDL did not change during treatment with the combination 0.150 mg desogestrel+0.020 mg EE. It can be concluded from this study that the combination 0.150 mg desogestrel+0.020 mg EE does not adversely affect lipid metabolism after 3 months of treatment.
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