| Abstract: | Plasma triglycerides and cholesterol concentrations were determined for 18 young women using the same brand of oral contraceptives (OCs) at 2 different estrogen levels and for 10 women never having used the pill. Dietary intakes of lipids and calories were similar for all subects. OC brands used Ortho-Novum and Norinyl 1/50) contained either .05 or .08 mg of mestranol plus 1 mg of norethindrone. Test subjects had taken the OCs for at least 1 year. A 12-hour fasting blood sample was taken on Days 20-25 of a menstrual cycle. Plasma samples were frozen for later analysis. Samples were analyzed for simultaneous determinations of triglycerides and cholesterol with a Technicon Auto Analyzer 2 system by the Rush et al. procedure. OC users, particularly those taking the higher estrogen dose, had elevated plasma triglycerides which were significantly higher than controls. Plasma cholesterol levels of OC users were similar to controls. |
