Metabolic effects of depot-medroxyprogesterone acetate in long-term users: a cross-sectional study.

Oral glucose tolerance test and determination of insulin, cholesterol, triglycerides, total bilirubin, serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (SGOT), serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase (SGPT), alkaline phosphatase and cortisol in blood were performed on 57 Thai women who had used depot-medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA) for 5 years or more and 24 healthy non-DMPA users. Plasma insulin, alkaline phosphatase and morning cortisol levels were significantly higher in the DMPA users than in the non-users. There were no significant differences for other laboratory tests. The findings suggest some effects of DMPA on carbohydrate metabolism and liver function in long-term users.