Contraception and dyslipidemia.

The risks of cardiovascular disease associated with dyslipidemia differ in women and men, being more strongly associated with triglyceride/high-density lipoprotein in middle-aged women than in men. Although the incidence of heart disease is lower in women because they live longer, over a lifetime, cardiovascular disease in women is equal to that in men, with the greatest incidence after age 65 years. Major coronary events are rare among reproductive-age women who use oral contraceptives and are related to the concomitant effects of age, smoking, diabetes, hypertension, and obesity. Low estrogen-progestin dose oral contraceptives appear not to promote cardiovascular disease and can be used in women with controlled cholesterol elevations. Alternative contraceptive measures should be considered for patients with severe uncontrolled hypercholesterolemia or a lipid disorder that carries a high risk of coronary heart disease. In these conditions, thrombotic propensity associated with supraphysiologic doses of estrogen in oral contraceptives might accelerate coronary thrombosis should an arteriosclerotic plaque rupture. Treatment of hypercholesterolemia should follow the guidelines of the National Cholesterol Education Program and emphasize hygienic measures. Contraceptive selection in hyperlipidemic patients should reflect a balance between the risks--and their management--of developing cardiovascular disease versus the risks of pregnancy.