Study of plasma renin activity in Indian women using low estrogen combination pill as contraceptive [abstract].

Comgination oral contraceptives (OCs) containing ethinyl estradiol 0.05 mg and norethisterone 1 mg is known to cause various metabolic changes and hypertension is 1 of them. Both plasma renin activity (PRA) and angiotensin are considerably increased during pregnancy and these changes are attributed to estrogen induced changes in renin substrate. Recently OCs containing less amount of estrogen are in use and this study reports PRA levels in Indian women taking pills containing 0.03 mg ethinyl estradiol and 1 mg norethistrone. PRA was estimated by radioimmunoassay method in a matched control group and compared with those taking OCs for different durations. Analysis of the data revealed that the mean values for PRA in those taking the low estrogen OC pills were significantly higher than the control group of women not taking the OC. (full text)