The influence of age on lipid profile among women taking hormonal contraceptives

Family planning clinic and women at large, in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, have adopted the administration of hormonal contraceptives to cub incessant occurrence of unplanned pregnancies among women within the reproduction age. This study was carried out to evaluate the effect of hormonal contraceptives (Medroxyprogesterone acetate or Norethisterone oenanthate) on lipid profile of premenopausal women at different age groups. Total cholesterol (TC), Triglycerides (TG), High.Density LipoproteinCholesterol (HDL-C) and Low Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol (LDL-C), of both women who were users and non-users of hormonal contraceptives at different age groups (16-25, 26-35, and 36-45 years of age) wereestimated using enzymatic method. There were raised levels of TG, TC, HDL-C and reduced level of LDL-C among women taking hormonal contraceptives. The increase levels of TC and HDL-C in women within the age range of 26-35 years was significant (p.0.05). The result obtained suggested that the use of hormonal contraceptives do not impose any cardiovascular risk among these women in all age groups, rather, a beneficial effect. Women within the age range of 26-35 years by this study, had effect that is more beneficial because they had significantly high levels of TC and HDL-C, and reduced Castelli risk index I and II (TC/HDL-C andLDL-C/HDL-C respectively)