Although overall impact on bone is small and depends largely on age and dose, data suggest that by about 2 years of use, teens who use oral contraceptives show about 1% less gain in bone mineral density than teens who do not use the pills.
Although overall impact on bone is small and depends largely on age and dose, data suggest that by about 2 years of use, teens who use oral contraceptives (OCs) show about 1% less gain in bone mineral density (BMD) than teens who do not use the pills, and they show smaller gains in bone density even after they stop using the pills.
Researchers in Seattle, Washington, conducted a prospective cohort study involving 606 women between the ages of 14 and 30 years. About 50% of the participants were between 14 and 18 years of age, while the remainder were between 19 and 30 years of age. Of the OC users in the study, about half used OCs containing 30 µg to 35 µg ethinyl estradiol (EE), while the remainder used OCs containing less than 30 µg EE; 172 of the women discontinued use of OCs. The researchers measured hip, spine, and whole-body bone densities.
After 2 years, they found that the teens using 30 µg to 35 µg EE OCs, but not those using less than 30 µg EE OCs, had significantly smaller adjusted mean percentage BMD gains at the spine and whole body (95% CI for between-group differences; 1.32% vs 2.26% and 1.45% vs 2.03%, respectively), compared with the nonusers.
This information may be important because a woman's risk for fractures later in life depends partially on the bone she amasses in her teens and twenties, and women in this age group are the highest users of OCs.
Scholes D, Hubbard RA, Ichikawa LE, et al. Oral contraceptive use and bone density change in adolescent and young adult women: a prospective study of age, hormone dose, and discontinuation. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. July 13, 2011. [Epub ahead of print.]
PCOS status linked to menopause age onset
March 28th 2024A recent regression model analysis unveils a 5% prolonged period to menopause in women with polycystic ovary syndrome, prompting further investigation into the condition's impact on reproductive health and the need for diverse longitudinal studies.
Read More
Study: Plant-based diets lower hypertensive disorders of pregnancy risk
March 28th 2024A recent study suggests that adherence to plant-based diets significantly decreases the risk of developing hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, shedding light on dietary interventions for maternal health.
Read More