Effects of Oral, Vaginal, and Transdermal Hormonal Contraception on Serum Levels of Coenzyme Q10, Vitamin E, and Total Antioxidant Activity

The use of the transdermal contraceptive patch is associated with greater bioavailability of ethinyl estradiol (EE) compared with contraceptive vaginal ring or oral contraceptives (OC). We compared the influences of three contraceptive methods (OC, vaginal ring, and transdermal patch) on serum levels of coenzyme Q10, α-tocopherol, γ-tocopherol and total antioxidant capacity in premenopausal women. Blood samples from 30 premenopausal women who used hormonal contraception for at least 4 months were collected. Forty subjects who did not use any contraception were studied as control. Serum levels of coenzyme Q10, α-tocopherol and γ-tocopherol were measured by high-pressure liquid chromatography. Serum samples were also assayed for total antioxidant capacity (TAOC). Serum levels of coenzyme Q10 and α-tocopherol were found to be significantly lower (P