Consistency of endothelial function across two consecutive oral contraceptive pill cycles
Abstract Oral contraceptive pills (OCPs), composed of an active pill (AP; synthetic hormone) and a placebo pill (PP; synthetic hormone‐free) phase, might impact endothelial function across the OCP cycle depending on the synthetic hormone composition (type and dose). Only one study has investigated v...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2025-08-01
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| Series: | Experimental Physiology |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1113/EP092399 |
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| author | Lindsay A. Lew Desiree Tugwell Tess Leavitt Melanie Vitez Emily J. Ferguson Kyra E. Pyke |
| author_facet | Lindsay A. Lew Desiree Tugwell Tess Leavitt Melanie Vitez Emily J. Ferguson Kyra E. Pyke |
| author_sort | Lindsay A. Lew |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Oral contraceptive pills (OCPs), composed of an active pill (AP; synthetic hormone) and a placebo pill (PP; synthetic hormone‐free) phase, might impact endothelial function across the OCP cycle depending on the synthetic hormone composition (type and dose). Only one study has investigated very low‐dose second‐generation OCP users, finding impaired endothelial function in the AP versus PP phase. No studies have reported individual changes in endothelial function across OCP phases, and no studies have examined repeatability of endothelial function across multiple OCP cycles. Owing to the consistency of synthetic hormone exposure in OCP users, we hypothesized that group and individual flow‐mediated dilatation (FMD) responses to the OCP phase would be consistent across two OCP cycles. Endothelial function was assessed by FMD via Duplex ultrasound in 17 very low‐dose second‐generation OCP users (19 ± 2 years of age) during the AP phase and PP phase for two consecutive OCP cycles. Individual responses were classified using a threshold of ±2 × typical error. There was a main effect of phase such that FMD was lower in the AP versus PP phase (P = 0.022; AP = 4.3% ± 1.3%, PP = 5.4% ± 1.4%). Threshold analysis revealed no consistent responders, and there was no relationship between Δ%FMD in cycle 1 and cycle 2 (P = 0.220; r = −0.314). Overall, these results suggest that exposure to the synthetic hormones in second‐generation OCPs might be detrimental to vascular function, although this was not demonstrated to be a consistent trait‐like response at the individual level over two cycles. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-7a2ddfa4bb0c4f75afe8521690ca66f7 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 0958-0670 1469-445X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-08-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
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| series | Experimental Physiology |
| spelling | doaj-art-7a2ddfa4bb0c4f75afe8521690ca66f72025-08-20T03:16:28ZengWileyExperimental Physiology0958-06701469-445X2025-08-0111081164117310.1113/EP092399Consistency of endothelial function across two consecutive oral contraceptive pill cyclesLindsay A. Lew0Desiree Tugwell1Tess Leavitt2Melanie Vitez3Emily J. Ferguson4Kyra E. Pyke5School of Kinesiology and Health Studies Queen's University Kingston Ontario CanadaSchool of Kinesiology and Health Studies Queen's University Kingston Ontario CanadaSchool of Kinesiology and Health Studies Queen's University Kingston Ontario CanadaSchool of Kinesiology and Health Studies Queen's University Kingston Ontario CanadaSchool of Kinesiology and Health Studies Queen's University Kingston Ontario CanadaSchool of Kinesiology and Health Studies Queen's University Kingston Ontario CanadaAbstract Oral contraceptive pills (OCPs), composed of an active pill (AP; synthetic hormone) and a placebo pill (PP; synthetic hormone‐free) phase, might impact endothelial function across the OCP cycle depending on the synthetic hormone composition (type and dose). Only one study has investigated very low‐dose second‐generation OCP users, finding impaired endothelial function in the AP versus PP phase. No studies have reported individual changes in endothelial function across OCP phases, and no studies have examined repeatability of endothelial function across multiple OCP cycles. Owing to the consistency of synthetic hormone exposure in OCP users, we hypothesized that group and individual flow‐mediated dilatation (FMD) responses to the OCP phase would be consistent across two OCP cycles. Endothelial function was assessed by FMD via Duplex ultrasound in 17 very low‐dose second‐generation OCP users (19 ± 2 years of age) during the AP phase and PP phase for two consecutive OCP cycles. Individual responses were classified using a threshold of ±2 × typical error. There was a main effect of phase such that FMD was lower in the AP versus PP phase (P = 0.022; AP = 4.3% ± 1.3%, PP = 5.4% ± 1.4%). Threshold analysis revealed no consistent responders, and there was no relationship between Δ%FMD in cycle 1 and cycle 2 (P = 0.220; r = −0.314). Overall, these results suggest that exposure to the synthetic hormones in second‐generation OCPs might be detrimental to vascular function, although this was not demonstrated to be a consistent trait‐like response at the individual level over two cycles.https://doi.org/10.1113/EP092399endothelial functionindividual responseoral contraceptive pill |
| spellingShingle | Lindsay A. Lew Desiree Tugwell Tess Leavitt Melanie Vitez Emily J. Ferguson Kyra E. Pyke Consistency of endothelial function across two consecutive oral contraceptive pill cycles Experimental Physiology endothelial function individual response oral contraceptive pill |
| title | Consistency of endothelial function across two consecutive oral contraceptive pill cycles |
| title_full | Consistency of endothelial function across two consecutive oral contraceptive pill cycles |
| title_fullStr | Consistency of endothelial function across two consecutive oral contraceptive pill cycles |
| title_full_unstemmed | Consistency of endothelial function across two consecutive oral contraceptive pill cycles |
| title_short | Consistency of endothelial function across two consecutive oral contraceptive pill cycles |
| title_sort | consistency of endothelial function across two consecutive oral contraceptive pill cycles |
| topic | endothelial function individual response oral contraceptive pill |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1113/EP092399 |
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