In the study, a major artery in the arm did not open as wide in women who had taken the contraceptive for longer than a year as it did in women who did not take the drug.
How does Depo-Provera work?
Depo-Provera, or depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA), is a synthetic variant of the body's progesterone that is produced naturally. The drug interferes with hormonal signaling to keep eggs from being released from the ovaries. Use of the drug has been shown to lower levels of estradiol, a form of estrogen made by the ovaries. Since estrogen is thought to promote healthy arteries, this may be a clue to the outcome of this study.
How was the study conducted?
To determine the long-term effect of Depo-Provera, the team compared 13 women who had used the contraceptive for more than a year and a "control" group of 10 women who were not taking the contraceptive.
The researchers performed two tests:
Arterial function was tested twice in each group of women. Both groups of women responded similarly to the artery-widening drug, but flow-mediated dilation -- the kind of dilation that relies on the endothelium -- was lower in long-term users of Depo-Provera.
What did the researchers conclude?
If you do have some risk factors such as smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol or a family history of heart disease, you may want to take the findings of this study into account as you evaluate your birth-control options.
Interestingly two of the researchers have received grants, fees and other funding from pharmaceutical companies, including several firms that make contraceptives. Pfizer, the New York-based drug company that is in the midst of acquiring Pharmacia, provided some of the study's funding.
Circulation 2002;10.1161/01.CIR.0000030940.73167.4E
Dr. John Lee hates Depo-Provera. He believes it never needs to be used. I couldn't agree more. I lectured with Dr. Lee in Chicago a few years ago and I have great respect and admiration for what he has done for bringing natural hormones, particularly progesterone, to our attention.
His book What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Premenopause is also great read.
The key to remember here is that Depo Provera is NOT progesterone. It is synthetic progesterone and is more accurately called a progestin.
This hormone is so dangerous that if you are taking it (or most birth control pills) during the first stages of pregnancy there is a high likelihood that an abortion will occur.
This is because the progestin actually binds to the progesterone receptor stronger than progesterone does and when it binds it actually blocks the real progesterone from providing the beneficial effects on the placenta and fetus. As a result the baby dies from progesterone starvation.
An amazing fact to recognize is that progesterone deficiency is actually the cause of over 90% of first trimester spontaneous abortions.
It’s wise to avoid absolute statements, but it seems that there is never any reason to take Depo-Provera or birth control pills in this case, as there are much safer and natural options that address the underlying cause of the problem.
I have recently started using natural progesterone in a version that dissolves under the tongue, and it seems to work quite nicely. One of the major benefits of using this "under the tongue" version is that, if taken correctly, it’s virtually impossible to overdose on it, which is not the case with natural progesterone creams.
I had used progesterone cream for many years but stopped once I realized that many women developed very high progesterone levels, as the hormone is easily deposited in fatty tissue in the skin and stored there. I also don't recommend progesterone pills that must be swallowed, as a woman needs a dose ten times higher than her body requires for enough progesterone to bypass the digestive system.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Unlike Depo-Provera in the article above, no form of natural progesterone will prevent pregnancy.
Related Articles:
Complications Regarding Progesterone Cream Hormone Replacement Therapy When Is It Necessary? Wake-Up Call About Depo-Provera Can Depo-Provera Destroy Your Sex Life?
Complications Regarding Progesterone Cream
Hormone Replacement Therapy When Is It Necessary?
Wake-Up Call About Depo-Provera
Can Depo-Provera Destroy Your Sex Life?