6533b82dfe1ef96bd1291630

RESEARCH PRODUCT

The influence of oral contraceptives on the composition of bile.

subject

description

The increased risk of cholelithiasis during intake of oral contraceptives may be due to estrogen-induced saturation of the bile with cholesterol. In a randomized, prospective, crossed-over double-blind study 20 healthy women after roentgenological exclusion of gall-stones received either 1.0 mg of norethindrone acetate and 50 microgram ethinyl estradiol daily - as usual in oral contraception - for 21 days with 7 days of placebo treatment in each cycle or one fifth of this hormone dose in form of a continuous daily medication. After a 4 month's treatment the medication form was crossed-over. At the beginning of the study, before the cross-over and after the study bile was collected by duodenal intubation after a 12-h fast and the lithogenic index as a measure for cholesterol saturation of the bile was determined. No correlation between the dose and the lithogenic index was demonstrated, neither in 15 women, who had used oral contraceptives before the study nor in five women without any previous hormonal contraceptives.The increased risk of cholelithiasis during oral contraceptive (OC) intake may be due to the estrogen-induced saturation of the bile with cholesterol. In a randomized, prospective, crossover double-blind study, 20 healthy women after roentgenological exclusion of gallstones received either 1.0 mg of norethindrone acetate and 50 mcg of ethinyl estradiol daily for 21 days with 7 days of placebo treatment in each cycle or 1/5 of this hormone dose in the form of continuous daily medication. After 4 months of treatment, the medication form was crossed over. At the beginning of the study, before the crossover and after the study, bile was collected by duodenal intubation after a 12 hour fast and the lithogenic index as a measure for cholesterol saturation of the bile was determined. No correlation between the dose and the lithogenic index was demonstrated, neither in 15 women who had used OCs prior to the study nor in 5 women without any previous OC taking history. (author's)