Effect of oral contraceptive use on lipid profile in Korean women aged 35–55 years

BackgroundAlthough oral contraceptives (OCs) are widely used, their effects on lipid profile need monitoring according to current usage in different populations.Study DesignA cross-sectional study was conducted using data from 1541 participants aged 35–55 years collected by the 2005–2009 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys. OC use, demographic characteristics and dietary intake were obtained from the participants by questionnaire, and lipid levels were determined by analysis of blood samples.ResultsLonger duration of OC use was positively associated with increasing levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and decreasing levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C). After adjusting for demographic and dietary factors, the odds ratio (OR) of low HDL-C (< 50 mg/dL) was significantly decreased in the longer-term (> 12 months) OC users (OR=0.36, 95% confidence interval 0.24–0.52) compared with those who never used OCs. However, use of OCs was not associated with a risk of high total cholesterol (≥ 240 mg/dL), high LDL-C (≥ 130 mg/dL), high triglycerides (≥ 150 mg/dL) or high ratio of triglycerides to HDL-C (> 3.8).ConclusionsThese data suggest that the use of OCs may reduce the risk of dyslipidemia, mainly due to the decreased risk of low HDL-C, in Korean women.