Effects of a combined oral contraceptive containing 20 mcg of ethinylestradiol and 3 mg of drospirenone on the blood pressure, renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, insulin resistance, and androgenic profile of healthy young women.

Combined oral contraceptives (COCs) may increase the risk for cardiovascular disease depending on the ethynyl estradiol (EE) dose and the androgenicity of the progestogens. Our objective was to evaluate the impact of a COC containing 20 mcg EE + 3 mg drospirenone on blood pressure (BP), renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, insulin resistance, and androgenic profile of healthy young women. Eighty-one healthy young women aged 30 ± 1 years (case group, n = 49, received COC; control group, n = 32, used no COC) were assessed twice, before and after the 6-month study.

Impact of standardized information provided by gynecologists on women's choice of combined hormonal contraception.

This prospective interventional study was designed to determine the impact of providing standardized information on different methods of combined hormonal contraception on women's selection of which method to use. A total of 952 Brazilian gynecologists were randomly selected. Each gynecologist recruited 15 consecutive patients for whom combined hormonal contraception was indicated.

Drospirenone/ethinylestradiol: a review on efficacy and noncontraceptive benefits.

Considerable advances have been made in the field of combined oral contraceptives since their introduction 50 years ago. This ongoing evolution has been focused on reducing the estrogen dose and synthesizing new progestogens. A recently launched combination of ethinylestradiol 20 µg and drospirenone 3 mg demonstrates the advantages of a lower estrogen dose with the antimineralocorticoid activity of drospirenone that is responsible for the drug's significant antiandrogenic and antimineralocorticoid effects, reflected clinically in lower rates of adverse events including less fluid retention.

HDL concentration, lipid transfer to HDL, and HDL size in normolipidemic nonobese menopausal women.

Objective: To determine the impact of menopause on lipid transfer from donor lipoproteins to high-density lipoproteins (HDLs) -- a process that is related to the protective function of HDL -- and the size of HDL particles.

Method: Plasma from 22 premenopausal and 18 postmenopausal nonobese, normolipidemic women paired for age (40-50 years) was incubated in an artificial nanoemulsion labeled with radioactive lipids. Then the HDL fraction was assessed for radioactivity; the percentage of radioactive lipids transferred from the nanoemulsion to HDL was determined; and the size of HDL particles was measured by laser light scattering.