Menstrual cycle effect on plasma lipids.

In a study of 31 healthy women in which dietary intake and body weight were controlled, a significantly higher mean plasma cholesterol was observed in the follicular phase of the menstrual cycle compared to the luteal phase (mean difference of 8.4% during controlled dietary periods). Higher mean plasma triglycerides (mean difference of 7.4%) and lower HDL-cholesterol (mean difference of 5.8%) were also observed in the follicular phase of the controlled dietary study, although these differences were not consistently significant.