The effect of low-dose piperazine oestrone sulphate and low-dose levonorgestrel on blood lipid levels in post-menopausal women

Abstract

Prolonged used of oestrogens has been shown to reduce the risk of arteriosclerotic heart disease by increasing the levels of circulating high density lipoprotein cholesterol. It has also been shown that progestogens derived from the 19-nortestosterone molecule will reverse this beneficial effect when given in 250–500 mg doses. When levonorgestrel was used in doses as low as 30μg daily, there was no change in cholesterol levels over a period of 6 mth, suggesting that the adverse effect of the androgenic type progestogens is dose-related and is probably only significant when extremely high dosages are administered.