Effect of high dose progestin on serum lipids

Abstract

The effect of high dose medroxyprogesterone (MPA) on serum lipids was studied in 31 postmenopausal patients with endometrial cancer. After 3 months of MPA treatment, total cholesterol decreased by 18% (P less than 0.001), LDL cholesterol by 16% (P less than 0.01) and HDL cholesterol by 38% (P less than 0.001) from the respective pretreatment values; correspondingly, the ratio of HDL to total cholesterol decreased (P less than 0.001). Similar changes were found as early as 2 weeks after start of treatment. In the 15 controls receiving no progestin treatment, full dose intracavitary radiotherapy and gynecological surgery had no effect on these serum lipids.