Combined oral contraceptive containing drospirenone does not modify 24-h ambulatory blood pressure but increases heart rate in healthy young women: prospective study.

Background: Hypertension is a primary cardiovascular risk factor. Oral contraceptives (OCs) may increase blood pressure and cardiovascular events. We evaluated whether an OC containing ethynylestradiol (EE) in association with the spironolactone-derived progestin drospirenone (DRSP) influences 24-h ambulatory blood pressure of normotensive women.

Intermenstrual pelvic pain, quality of life and mood.

Background/aims: To investigate the independent importance of different types of pelvic pain on quality of life and depressive symptoms.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed on patients with pelvic pain. A 10-cm visual-analogue scale (VAS) was used to investigate intensity of intermenstrual pelvic pain, dysmenorrhea or deep dyspareunia.

Prevalence of menstrual pain in young women: what is dysmenorrhea?

Objectives: This study aimed to determine the frequency of dysmenorrhea, as identified by different definitions, in a population of young women, and to investigate factors associated with this complaint.

Materials And Methods: A final group of 408 young women completed a self-assessment questionnaire. This was a cross-sectional analytical study.

Route of administration of contraceptives containing desogestrel/etonorgestrel and insulin sensitivity: a prospective randomized study.

Background: The study was conducted to investigate whether hormonal contraceptives administered via the oral and vaginal route exert a similar effect on insulin sensitivity (SI).

Study Design: This is a prospective, randomized study performed in the University Hospital. Subjects were healthy lean young women, needing a hormonal contraceptive, randomly allocated to receive for 6 months (a) an oral contraceptive (OC) containing 30 mcg ethinylestradiol (EE)/150 mcg desogestrel (DSG) (high-estrogen group; n=12), (b) an OC containing 20 mcg EE/150 mcg DSG (low-estrogen group; n=12) and (c) a vaginal ring contraceptive releasing, per day, 15 mcg EE/120 mcg etonorgestrel, the active DSG metabolite (n=12).

Insulin sensitivity and lipid metabolism with oral contraceptives containing chlormadinone acetate or desogestrel: a randomized trial.

Background: Second-generation and third-generation oral contraceptives containing 30 mcg or more of ethinylestradiol (EE) decrease insulin sensitivity (SI). In this study, we investigated whether SI is decreased by contraceptives containing lower doses EE or by progestins with antiandrogenic properties.

Study Design: Twenty-eight young healthy women were randomly allocated to receive 20 mcg of EE and 150 mcg of desogestrel (DSG) (n=14) or 30 mcg of EE and 2 mg of chlormadinone acetate (CMA) (n=14) for 6 months.