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Depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA) use often is associated with weight gain, but amounts and patterns of such changes in weight are not well defined. Investigators prospectively followed 240 DMPA users (mean age, 24) for 3 years to evaluate predictors and risk factors for weight gain. Excessive early weight gain was defined as an increase of >5% above baseline at 6 months of DMPA use; participants who gained ≤5% above baseline were termed regular gainers.
One quarter of participants experienced excessive early weight gain; overall, these women gained a mean of 7 kg more than did regular gainers. The earliest time point at which a statistically significant trend toward excessive weight gain could be predicted was 6 months. The authors c…