Observational studyBMC ophthalmology2019
The effect of oral contraceptive pills on the macula, the retinal nerve fiber layer, the ganglion cell layer and the choroidal thickness.
Observational study in BMC ophthalmology, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 11 papers.
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Who cites it
11 citing papers in PubMed, 20 citations in OpenAlex.
- Evaluation of Macular Thickness, Choroidal Thickness, and Choroidal Vascularity Index in Women With Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: A Cross-Sectional Study.Journal of ophthalmology · 2026Article
- Retinal microvasculature and macular-choroidal thickness in oral contraceptive users: an OCTA and OCT comparative study.International journal of retina and vitreous · 2025Article
- TDP-43 as a potential retinal biomarker for neurodegenerative diseases.Frontiers in neuroscience · 2025Review
- Variabilities in Retinal Hemodynamics Across the Menstrual Cycle in Healthy Women Identified Using Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography.Life (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Article
- Acute macular neuroretinopathy following Moderna COVID-19 vaccination.Journal of ophthalmic inflammation and infection · 2023Article
- In the Eye of the Cytokine Storm: A Tale of SARS-CoV-2-Induced Acute Macular Neuroretinopathy.Cureus · 2023Article
- Myopia and its associated factors among pregnant women at health institutions in Gondar District, Northwest Ethiopia: A multi-center cross-sectional study.Frontiers in global women's health · 2022Article
- Visual impairment and associated factors among pregnant women attending antenatal care units at health institutions in Gondar City Administration, Northwest Ethiopia.BMC pregnancy and childbirth · 2021Article
- The Effects of Sex, Oral Contraception, and Menstrual Cycle Phase on Intraocular Pressure, Central Corneal Thickness, and Foveal Thickness: A Descriptive Analysis.Vision (Basel, Switzerland) · 2021Article
- Article
- Choroidal thickness and effect of sex and age in Africans.Annals of African medicineArticle
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
2 authors at 1 institution in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgrounTo evaluate the effect of oral contraceptive pills (OCP) on the macula, the retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL), the ganglion cell layer (GCL), and the choroidal thickness (CT).
methodsIn this prospective observational cross-sectional study, 60 eyes of 30 healthy women taking monophasic OCP (0.03 mg ethinylestradiol and 0.15 mg levonorgestrel) for contraception for at least 1 year were compared with 60 eyes of a control group of 30 healthy women who were not taking any OCP. Spectral-Domain Optical Coherence Tomography (SD-OCT) was used to evaluate the macula, the RNFL, the GCL, and the CT. Measurements were taken in the follicular phase (day 3) of the last menstrual cycle in all women. The body mass index (BMI) scores of all participants were also recorded.
resultsNo disparity in terms of age and BMI between both groups was observed (p = 0.444, p = 0.074, respectively). All the macular parameters measurements were considerably lower in the OCP group compared to the control group (p < 0.001). Also, the RNFL thickness, the GCL thickness, and the CT were all significantly thinner in the OCP group (p < 0.001).
conclusionsThe use of OCP can cause significant changes in the retina and choroid thickness over 1 year period. The women who are using OCP for a longer duration could have some eye problems. OCT should be routinely done for follow up. Further long term studies are required, using different preparations of OCP. It is important to find out when this thickness alterations can be clinically significant or symptomatic and if these changes are reversible or not.
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