Effects of low-dose OCs on weight in women with Central European nutritional habits and lifestyle

• Published in: Contraception (Stoneham) Vol. 66; no. 3; pp. 159 - 162
• Main Authors: Lech, Medard M, Ostrowska, Lucyna
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY Elsevier Inc 01-09-2002; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: Adult; Biological and medical sciences; Body Mass Index; Contraceptives, Oral - administration & dosage; Drug toxicity and drugs side effects treatment; Ethinyl Estradiol - administration & dosage; Ethinylestradiol; Feeding Behavior; Female; Gestodene; Humans; Life Style; Medical sciences; Norpregnenes - administration & dosage; Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; Oral contraceptives; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Poland; Toxicity: blood; Weight gain; Weight Gain - drug effects; Poland; Europe; Ethinylestradiol; Poland; Gestodene; Oral contraceptives; Weight gain; Human; Toxicity; Low dose; Body weight; Estrogen; Oral administration; Epidemiology; Progestagen; Cohort study; Female; Contraceptive; Sex steroid hormone
• ISSN: 0010-7824; 1879-0518
• DOI: 10.1016/S0010-7824(02)00352-9

The aim of the study was to evaluate the acceptance and tolerance of combined low-dose oral contraceptives (OCs) (containing 20 μg ethinylestradiol and 75 μg gestodene) in a cohort of Polish women, and to present a relationship between the use of combined OCs and changes in body weight. Changes in body weight with combined low-dose OC have not been demonstrated in placebo-controlled trials, nor were such trials performed in a population whose nutritional/dietary habits and lifestyle resemble that of the population of Poland.
We performed the clinical study on a group of 800 patients living in several regions of Poland. Patients used the low-dose OC for a period of 6 months. They were assessed every third cycle of OC use (initial examination and examinations after three and six cycles of OC use). On the basis of this investigation, a relationship between OC use and weight gain was not found.