Background: The use of combined oral contraceptives has been associated with an increased risk of adverse cardiovascular events. Whether these drugs alter cardiac autonomic nervous system control is not completely determined.
Objective: To evaluate the effect of a contraceptive containing 20mcg of ethinyl estradiol and 3mg of drospirenone on the heart rate variability, baroreflex sensitivity and blood pressure of healthy women.
Study design: Prospective controlled trial with 69 healthy women allocated in two groups: 36 volunteers under oral combined contraceptive use and 33 volunteers using of non-hormonal contraceptive methods. Subjects were tested before the introduction of the contraceptive method and 6 months after its use. For data acquisition, we used continuous non-invasive beat-to-beat blood pressure curve recordings. Multiple ANOVA was used to determine differences between groups and moments and p< 0.05 was considered statistically significant.
Results: At baseline, there were no differences in demographic and autonomic parameters between groups. Comparing cardiac sympatho-vagal modulation, baroreceptor sensitivity and blood pressure measurements between baseline and after 6 months, no significant difference was detected in each group or between groups.
Conclusion: A contraceptive containing 20mcg of ethinyl estradiol and 3mg of drospirenone causes no significant changes in clinical, hemodynamic and autonomic parameters of normal women.
Keywords: Autonomic nervous system; Blood pressure; Cardiovascular risk; Oral contraceptive.
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