Birth control pill and cholesterol

Taking the contraceptive pill can affect blood cholesterol levels. The weight of this effect depends on the type of contraceptive used, more specifically on the concentration of estrogens and progestins. The estrogens contained in the contraceptive pills seem in fact to slightly increase the levels of good cholesterol (HDL), while decreasing at the same time the bad one (LDL); the final result is a slight increase in total cholesterol, accompanied by a significant increase in triglycerides. The progestogens contained in the contraceptive pills would have instead an opposite effect, given the tendency to increase the LDL cholesterol decreasing the HDL quota.

As said, the contraceptive pills with a higher concentration of estrogen can slightly improve the lipidemic profile of the patient, which is instead worsened by the use of progestin-only pills. In general, however, these changes are rather minor and do not affect the overall health of the patient. In this regard, given the availability of various and numerous contraceptive options, and the presence in the literature of conflicting data, we recommend contacting your gynecologist to assess the specific impact of the pill taken. Regardless of this influence, the use of the contraceptive pill can constitute a more or less important cardiovascular risk factor, which becomes significant when it is associated with other predisposing factors. For example, the contribution of the contraceptive pill becomes relevant when it is taken by women over the age of 35, smokers and hypertensive, while it appears paltry in young women who are non-smokers, sporting, normal weight, with normal blood pressure and who are fed correctly.