Key result
Oral contraceptives and obesity are linked to higher protein C, rising ~1% per mm skinfold thickness.
Why the study?
Does oral contraceptive use and obesity affect protein C antigen levels in women?
Does oral contraceptive use and obesity affect protein C antigen levels in women?
Protein C antigen levels are elevated in women using oral contraceptives and with increasing obesity, suggesting it tends to be high in circumstances predisposing to thrombosis.
Elevated protein C with OC use and obesity should not change practice; leaves open its role in thrombotic predisposition.
In 24 women using oral contraceptives, protein C antigen was higher than in 24 women of the same age and of the same degree of obesity who were not using OC. In the pooled data for all 48 women, there was an increase in protein C of about 1% (of standard) for each 1.0 mm increase in skinfold thickness. Protein C tends to be high rather than low in circumstances predisposing to thrombosis.
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Meade et al. (1985) studied this question. Oral contraceptives and obesity were associated with higher protein C antigen levels, with protein C increasing by about 1% for each 1.0 mm increase in skinfold thickness.