Effect of Hormonal Contraceptives on Bone Profile

Abstract

Abstract:Objective: To evaluate the effect of hormonal contraceptives (combined oral contraceptive pills (COCPs) and depot medroxy progesterone acetate injection (DMPA) on bone profile (serum calcium, phosphorous and alkaline phosphatase) in relation to age, and duration of usage. Design: Case control study.Setting: Family Planning Clinic in Al-Batool Teaching hospital, during the period from February 2006 to June 2006 .Subjects & Method: Ninety four (94) women using hormonal contraceptives (64 women of them were on COCPs and 30 women on DMPA injection) with mean ± SD age (31.01± 5.686) years for a period range from 0.25-10 years , and another 94 women who were not using any hormonal contraceptives (non user) as control group, with mean ± SD age (31.79±5.68) years, were all investigated by measuring serum calcium, phosphorous and alkaline phosphatase (and albumin to calculate corrected calcium) by spectrophotometric method using commercial Kits. While corrected Calcium were calculated by the following equation: Corrected Calcium = measured Ca + 0.02 (40_ albumin).Results: There was a non significant difference in the biochemical parameters of bone profile (serum calcium, phosphorous and alkaline phosphatase) of the hormonal contraceptives (COCPs and DMPA) users group and the non users (control) group, also a non significant difference in the biochemical parameters of bone profile of the COCPs and DMPA users except that serum alkaline phosphatase of DMPA users was significantly higher than that of the COCPs users. Beside that it was found that there was no relationship between the measured biochemical parameters of bone profile of the of the hormonal contraceptives (COCPs and DMPA) users and the age nor with duration of use.Conclusion: The use of hormonal contraceptives (COCPs or DMPA) up to ten years did not appear to affect serum levels of the minerals related to bone.