Studies on the Effects of Steroid Hormone Contraceptives on Lipid, Lipoprotein and Apolipoprotein Metabolism in Chinese Women

Objective To explore the effects of steroid hormone contraceptives (SHCs), such as Mercilon, Chinese No. 1 pill, Post-coital pill, Mesigyna, and Cyclofem, on lipid metabolism in Chinese women during the last decade.Materials & Methods A total of 122 healthy volunteers who requested contraception were recruited in the study and one of the above-mentioned SHCs was administered.Fasting serum samples were taken from each subject before, during and after treatments. Triglycerides ( TG ) , total cholesterol ( TC ) , high density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-c ) , low density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-c ) , Apolipoprotein A I, A II and B were measured. The changes in the ratios of TC/HDL-c, Apo A I/Apo B were also observed.Results Although the levels of lipid were either increased or decreased by any one of the 5 contraceptives, these changes recovered after withdrawal of the drug administration. No significant changes were detected in the ratios of TC/HDL-c, Apo A I/Apo B during treatments.Conclusion The results suggest that there is no obvious impact on lipid profile induced by any of the 5 contraceptives within one year. The induced effects on lipid metabolism could be reduced by alternate use of 2 contraceptives with different biological activities.