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The impact of oral contraceptives on cardiometabolic parameters

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Abstract

Purpose

There is much controversy regarding the use of oral contraceptive pills (OCPs) on cardiometabolic parameters, which is why this longitudinal population-based study was conducted to assess the impact of OCP use and its duration on cardiometabolic factors.

Methods

Of 5532 reproductive-aged participants of the Tehran lipid and glucose study, 3160 women who met our inclusion criteria were subdivided according to the duration of OCPs consumption into four sub-groups: (1) Non-users; (2) <11 month users; (3) 12–35 month users, and (4) ≥36 month users, and their cardiometabolic parameters were compared.

Results

No statistical significant differences were observed between the cardiometabolic parameters of these sub-groups, after further adjustment for confounding factors including age, parity, and education, except for mean low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol which was significantly higher in women who used OCPs for >36 months in comparison to non-OCP users. The odds ratio of hypercholesterolemia was significantly higher in women who used OCPs for >36 months in comparison to non-OCP users; being 1.5 times higher than non-users (95 % CI 1.01–2.2).

Conclusion

Results showed that if used for less than 3 years, OCPs have no cardiometabolic effects.

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Acknowledgments

We are indebted to all the study participants for the substantial time and effort contributed to this study. Acknowledgments are also due to the research staff at the (TLGS) Unit and personnel of the Research Endocrine Laboratory. The authors wish to thank Ms. N. Shiva for critical editing of English grammar and syntax of the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Reproductive Endocrinology Research Center, Research Institute for Endocrine Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, 24 Parvaneh St., Yaman St., Velenjak, PO Box 19395-4763, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran

    M. Farahmand, F. Ramezani Tehrani, M. Rostami Dovom & S. Hashemi

  2. Endocrine Research Center, Research Institute for Endocrine Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran

    F. Azizi

Authors
  1. M. Farahmand
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  2. F. Ramezani Tehrani
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  3. M. Rostami Dovom
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  4. S. Hashemi
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to F. Ramezani Tehrani.

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Conflict of interest

The authors declare that there are no competing interests and that the source of funding is independent of the objectives and results found in this study.

Ethical approval

Approval of the ethical committee of the research institute for endocrine sciences was obtained for the study, and written consents were obtained from all study participants.

Informed consent

The written inform consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

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Farahmand, M., Ramezani Tehrani, F., Rostami Dovom, M. et al. The impact of oral contraceptives on cardiometabolic parameters. J Endocrinol Invest 39, 277–283 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40618-015-0346-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40618-015-0346-z

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