EXAMINING THE EFFECTS OF MENSTRUAL CYCLE AND HORMONAL CONTRACEPTIVES ON SATIETY HORMONES AND EATING PATTERNS
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Keywords
‘Menstrual cycle, hormonal contraception, ghrelin, leptin, satiety hormones, appetite, food intake, reproductive health’
Abstract
Background: Appetite regulation in women is influenced by fluctuations in reproductive hormones throughout the menstrual cycle, as well as by the use of hormonal contraceptives. These hormonal changes may impact the levels of appetite-related peptides such as ghrelin, leptin, GLP-1, and PYY, which in turn influence food intake and satiety.‘To evaluate the association between menstrual cycle phases and hormonal contraceptive use with levels of satiety hormones and patterns of food intake in women of reproductive age’
Methods: This observational study was conducted at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Khairpur Medical College, Khairpur Mir's Sindh, Pakistan,from January 2021 to January 2022. A total of 75 women aged 18 to 35 years were included. Participants were grouped based on menstrual phase (follicular, ovulatory, luteal) and contraceptive status (users vs. non-users). Data on food intake were collected using a 24-hour dietary recall and food diary. Using ELISA, fasting blood samples were analyzed for ghrelin, leptin, GLP-1, and PYY levels. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 25, with p-values less than 0.05 considered significant.
Results: Ghrelin levels were highest in the follicular phase and declined significantly in the luteal phase (p=0.032), while leptin levels showed an increasing trend (p=0.041). Hormonal contraceptive users had lower ghrelin and higher leptin and GLP-1 levels compared to non-users (p<0.05). Despite elevated satiety hormone levels, food intake, particularly total calories and carbohydrate consumption, was significantly higher in the luteal phase (p=0.012 and p=0.045, respectively).
Conclusion: Hormonal fluctuations across the menstrual cycle and the use of hormonal contraceptives significantly affect appetite-regulating hormones and food intake in women. These findings highlight the importance of considering hormonal status when addressing dietary behavior and nutritional counseling in women’s health.
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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
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Dr. Sadia Nasir
Assistant Professor, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Khyber Teaching Hospital, Peshawar, Pakistan
Dr. Nusrat Fozia Pathan
Assistant Professor, Department of Obstetrics Gynaecology, Khairpur Medical College, Khairpur Mir's Sindh, Pakistan
Dr. Bushra Noor Khuhro
Associate Professor, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Lady Willingdon Hospital, Khairpur Medical College, Khairpur, Pakistan
Dr. Asma Khan
Lecturer, Department of Physiology, Green International University, Lahore, Pakistan
Dr. Misbah Aslam
Demonstrator, Department of Physiology, Quetta Institute of Medical Sciences, Quetta, Pakistan
Dr. Sana Javed
Demonstrator, Department of Physiology, Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Shaheed Medical College, Mirpur AJK, Pakistan