Low-dose combined oral contraceptive use is associated with lower bone mineral content variation in adolescents over a 1-year period

• Published in: BMC endocrine disorders 2015-04, Vol.15 (1), p.15-15, Article 15
• Main Authors: Biason, Talita Poli, Goldberg, Tamara Beres Lederer, Kurokawa, Cilmery Suemi, Moretto, Maria Regina, Teixeira, Altamir Santos, Nunes, Hélio Rubens de Carvalho
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Absorptiometry, Photon; Adolescence; Adolescent; Analysis; Bone Density - drug effects; Bones; Child; Contraceptives, Oral - therapeutic use; Contraceptives, Oral, Combined - therapeutic use; Density; Desogestrel - administration & dosage; Dosage and administration; Estradiol; Ethinyl Estradiol - administration & dosage; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Health aspects; Humans; Lumbar Vertebrae; Young Adult
• ISSN: 1472-6823; 1472-6823
• DOI: 10.1186/s12902-015-0012-7

Low-dose combined oral contraceptives (COCs) can interfere with bone mass acquisition during adolescence. This study aimed to evaluate bone mineral density (BMD) and bone mineral content (BMC) in female adolescents taking a standard low-dose COC (ethinylestradiol 20 μg/desogestrel 150 μg) over a 1-year period and to compare their data with those of healthy adolescents from the same age group not taking COCs. This was a non-randomized parallel-control study with a 1-year follow-up. Sixty-seven adolescents aged from 12 to 19 years, divided into COC users (n = 41) taking 20 μg ethinylestradiol/150 μg desogestrel and COC non-user controls (n = 26), were evaluated by bone densitometry examinations at baseline and after 12 months. Comparisons between the groups at the study onset were performed using the Mann-Whitney test with the significance level fixed at 5% or p