Effect of progesterone on glucose tolerance in women.

Abstract

This study deals with the effect of the administration of progestero ne and of medroxyprogesterone acetate (oragest depot) on the intravenous glucose tolerance test (GTT) in women. Oragest depot a long-acting progestational compound is 17-alpha-hydroxy-6-alpha methyl progesterone acetate. 32 women were given progesterone intramuscularly 100 mg daily for 5 days. 8 of this group were considered prediabetics. Mean age was 26. Each subject served as her own control. GTT tests were done before therapy at the end of therapy and 1 month later. A matched group of whom 8 were also considered prediabetic received no medication. Anothe r group of 22 women received oragest depot 150 mg weekly for 3 weeks. Their mean age was 24. 5 were assumed to be prediabetics. No spillage of glucose was found in the urine no statistically significant decrease in glucose tolerance was found in either of the test groups and there was no significant decline in glucose tolerance in the prediabetic subjects. From these results it seems evident that estrogen is the component which renders any diabetogenic effect of oral contraceptive pills.