Elevation of Serum Triglyceride and Cholesterol Levels from Isotretinoin Therapy with Concomitant Oral Contraceptives

March 1995 in “ Pharmacoepidemiology and drug safety ”

Yating Chen, Songlin Xue, Wen Dai, James Labraico

isotretinoin oral contraceptives hypertriglyceridemia hypercholesterolemia serum triglyceride cholesterol levels Accutane birth control pills high triglycerides high cholesterol

TLDR Taking oral contraceptives while on isotretinoin may increase the risk of high triglyceride and cholesterol levels.

The study investigated the impact of concomitant oral contraceptive (OC) use on hypertriglyceridemia (HTG) and hypercholesterolemia (HCHL) in female patients undergoing isotretinoin therapy. Using a matched case-control design, the researchers analyzed data from female isotretinoin users aged 15-55 who reported adverse events between January 1, 1982, and July 31, 1993. The study found a statistically significant association between OC use and both HTG (OR = 3.36) and HCHL (OR = 2.30). Additionally, there was a notably high frequency of OC use among patients with both HTG and HCHL (OR = 12.0). These findings suggested a potential interactive effect between oral contraceptives and isotretinoin in elevating serum triglyceride and cholesterol levels.

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