Effects on blood lipid and androgen levels of two triphasic oral contraceptives.

At Hospital Saint-Louis in Paris France physicians compared data on 34 women using a levonorgestrel triphasic oral contraceptive (OC) with data on 32 women using a norgestimate triphasic OC to examine the triphasic OCs effects on blood lipids and androgen levels. They also compared post-OC blood lipids and androgen levels with baseline blood lipids and androgen levels. 47% of all subjects smoked. After 6 cycles neither triphasic OC caused a significant difference in low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels or in triglyceride levels. High density lipoprotein (HDL) levels in women using the norgestimate OC were significantly higher than in those using the levonorgestrel OC (p = .001). Accordingly the OCs had a significant effect on the LDL/HDL ratio. Levels of HDL subfractions (HDL-2 and HDL-3) were also significantly higher in the norgestimate OC group than in the levonorgestrel OC group (p < .01). Women using the norgestimate OC had a significant increase in apolipoproteins A-1 and 1-2 after 6 cycles (12.7% and 15.8% respectively; p = .001 and .0001 respectively). Neither triphasic OC affected a greater increase in sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) levels than did the levonorgestrel OC (163% vs. 72%; p = .0005). It reduced the free testosterone level by 40%. The levonorgestrel OC reduced it by 30% but neither change was significant. Neither OC had an effect on body weight or blood pressure. These findings showed a trend toward lower androgenicity with the norgestimate OC. The norgestimate OC may be beneficial since it was linked with significant increases in all HDL subfractions and SHBG.