April 14, 2023 – Birth control pills and other contraceptives could prevent pregnancy even with drastically reduced estrogen and progesterone levels, a new study says.
The total hormone dose could be reduced by 92% for contraceptives that contain only estrogen and by 43% for contraceptives that contain only progesterone, in line with the study, which was published in 2017. PLOS Computational BiologyHowever, the contraceptives would should be administered at a particular time in the girl's menstrual cycle. By combining these hormones, the doses might be reduced even further, the researchers said.
Researchers on the University of the Philippines Diliman in Quezon City reached their conclusions through the use of a pc model of the menstrual cycle and adding real data on the hormone levels of 23 women between the ages of 20 and 34 with normal menstrual cycles.
The researchers said their computer simulations showed that it was best to offer the estrogen contraceptive through the mid-follicular phase of the menstrual cycle, the primary of two phases of a girl's normal cycle.
Lowering hormone levels would have many health advantages, said Pamela Berens, MD, professor of obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive sciences at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston. HealthyLine.
“This reduces potential risks for both complications and side effects,” she said.
Complications of high doses of hormones include blood clots, heart attacks, pulmonary embolisms and strokes. Side effects include nausea, breast tenderness, bloating and irritability.
According to experts, the study comes at a time when pharmaceutical firms are steadily reducing the quantity of hormones of their contraceptives.
“Over the years, safer contraception has been achieved by reducing the dosage of hormonal contraceptives,” Brenda Lyn Gavina, certainly one of the researchers, told the outlet. “Our study suggests a method to suppress ovulation. As more data becomes available, our mathematical model could be coupled with a pharmacokinetic model to obtain patient-specific dosing regimens.”