Three-Year Prospective Study of Carbohydrate Metabolism in Women Using Ovulen

28 women volunteers were tested with a standard oral glucose tolerance test (GTT) before and after 3 years of using the oral contraceptive Ovulen (.1 mg mestranol and 1.0 mg ethynodiol diacetate). The patients were 25.9 years of age with a mean parity of 2.7. The mean pretreatment weight was 135.8 + or -5.6 pounds and the mean 3-year weight was 147.6 + or -6.5 pounds which is significantly higher (p < .001). After 3 years there was also a significant elevation in the 1- 2- and 3-hour blood glucose and the 2- and 3-hour plasma insulin values. Blood glucose levels before treatment had all been normal whereas at the 3-year GTT 17.2% of the curves were "abnormal." 2 women followed after stopping the drug showed a return to normal glucose curves within 12 months.