Changes in glucose tolerance serum insulin and blood lipids during contraceptive medication in metabolically healthy women

A low-dosage combination type contraceptive (estrogen-gestagen) was given to 19 metabolically healthy women of normal weight over a 6-months period. Glucose tolerance serum insulin and serum lipids were measured 1 month before during and 2 months after medication. There was a slight decrease in the basal insulin values and an opposite trend in the basal blood glucose values not exceeding 10 mg% in comparison to pretreatment values. The oral glucose tolerance test with a load of 100 gm oligosaccharides did not show any statistically significant changes during the 9-month observation period. The serum insulin curve however showed a delayed increase with a tendency to return to original values after medication had stopped. A slight degree of insulin resistance without change in glucose tolerance can therefore be assumed. There was a tendency for triglyceride values to increase over the observation period. A trend toward decreased cholesterol on the other hand was statistically insignificant. The observed changes were well within the normal range in all cases.(Authors modified)