Carbohydrate and lipid studies during six months' treatment with megestrol acetate: Measurements of blood glucose, insulin, growth hormone, and triglycerides

Abstract

Blood glucose, plasma insulin, fasting plasma growth hormone and fasting plasma triglycerides were measured in 42 women during two 3 hour oral glucose tolerance tests. The first test was before they began taking 0.5 mg. megestrol acetate tablets per day and the second test was after 6 months of drug therapy. It was found that a'though the group mean weight increased 3.6 pounds, there were only minimal changes in the glucose or insulin curves, with only the slight elevations at the 2 hour drug test being significant. There were no significant changes in the growth hormone or triglyceride values. These data suggest that the substituted-progesterone progestins in oral contraceptives exert little metabolic effect as compared to the 19-norprogesterone progestins.