Blood levels of homocysteine, folate, vitamin B6 and B12 in women using oral contraceptives compared to non-users

Federico Lussana; Maddalena L Zighetti; Paolo Bucciarelli; Massimo Cugno; Marco Cattaneo

doi:10.1016/j.thromres.2003.11.007

Contraception · Oral Contraceptives

Blood levels of homocysteine, folate, vitamin B6 and B12 in women using oral contraceptives compared to non-users

Lussana F, Zighetti ML, Bucciarelli P, Cugno M, Cattaneo M

Thrombosis research, 112(1-2), 37-41, 2003

DOI 10.1016/j.thromres.2003.11.007 PMID 15013271

Abstract

Background and Objectives

To compare the levels of total homocysteine (tHcy), folate, vitamin B6 and B12, in women not using oral contraceptives (OC) vs. those using OC.

Materials and Methods

219 healthy women were enrolled in the study; 159 of them had not been using OC for at least 12 months prior to their enrollment, while 60 were on regular OC treatment.

Results

The median levels of vitamin B6 and B12 were significantly lower in OC users than in non-users (24.2 vs. 32.9 nmol/l, p=0.029; 278 vs. 429 ng/ml, p<0.001). There were no statistically significant differences in the levels of tHcy (fasting and post-methionine loading) and folate.

Conclusions

In our cross-sectional study, OC use was associated with low vitamin B6 and B12 levels. Since low vitamin B6 levels are independently associated with heightened risks for arterial and venous thromboembolism (TE), they could partly account for the increased TE risk of OC users.

Topics

Contraception Oral Contraceptives Metabolic Effects

Contraception › Oral Contraceptives › Metabolic Effects

Federico Lussana, Maddalena L Zighetti, Paolo Bucciarelli, Massimo Cugno, Marco Cattaneo

F Lussana, M Zighetti, P Bucciarelli, M Cugno, M Cattaneo

PMID 15013271 15013271 DOI 10.1016/j.thromres.2003.11.007 10.1016/j.thromres.2003.11.007 Lussana et al. 2003, Lussana 2003

Blood levels of homocysteine, folate, vitamin B6 and B12 in women using oral contraceptives compared to non-users

Abstract

Topics

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