Abstract
The need to seek improved combined oral contraceptive (COC) efficacy, with fewer health
risks and better acceptability, has been ongoing since the introduction of COCs more
than 50 years ago. New progestin formulations combined with lower doses of ethinyl
estradiol (EE), the predominant estrogenic component of COCs, have reduced the incidence
of venous thromboembolism and other negative outcomes of COC treatment. Previous attempts
to use endogenous 17��-estradiol (E2) instead of EE were limited primarily by poor cycle control. The recent introduction
of E2-based formulations has renewed interest to determine if there are potential benefits
of using E2 in COCs. These formulations have been shown to have similar efficacy and cycle control
as EE-based COCs. This review provides a brief summary of the pharmacology of EE and
E2, including metabolism, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics, as well as adverse
effects of these estrogens.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: January 10, 2013
Accepted:
December 25,
2012
Received in revised form:
December 25,
2012
Received:
October 30,
2012
Footnotes
���Notes: Frank Z. Stanczyk is a consultant for Agile Therapeutics and Merck & Co., Inc. (formerly Schering Plough, N.V. Organon), and has consulted for Bayer Healthcare and Shionogi. David F. Archer is a consultant for Agile Therapeutics; Bayer Healthcare; CHEMO; Depomed; HRA Pharma; Merck & Co., Inc.; Shionogi; Warner Chilcott; Watson Pharmaceuticals and Wyeth Laboratories (now Pfizer Inc.). He has received research support from Bayer Healthcare; Duramed; Merck & Co., Inc.; Warner Chilcott; Watson Pharmaceuticals and Wyeth Laboratories (now Pfizer Inc) and has received direct lecture fees from Bayer Healthcare; Merck & Co., Inc.; and Wyeth Laboratories (now Pfizer Inc.). Bhagu Bhavnani has nothing to disclose.
Identification
Copyright
© 2013 Elsevier Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
