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Treatment of hyperprolactinemia in post-menopausal women: pros

  • Pros and Cons in Endocrine Practice
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Abstract

The incidence of hyperprolactinemia in women peaks during the 3rd–4th decade and then greatly decreases after the menopause. Apart from the effects on the hypothalamic–pituitary–gonadal axis, prolactin can act directly on bone metabolism. Hyperprolactinemia is a recognized cause of secondary osteoporosis, and treatment with dopamine agonists can lead to improved BMD. Moreover, hyperprolactinemia has been linked to weight gain and insulin resistance, which can be ameliorated following medical treatment. Although relatively rare, prolactinomas can be observed in post-menopausal women and are frequently large and invasive; dopamine agonists appear to be as effective in these patients as in younger women to induce reduction of prolactin levels and tumour shrinkage. Here, we review data potentially favouring medical treatment with dopamine agonists in post-menopausal women diagnosed with hyperprolactinemia.

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Conflict of interest

The authors have nothing to disclose and did not receive any Grant supporting the writing of this paper.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Endocrinology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Policlinico “A. Gemelli”, Rome, Italy

    D. Iacovazzo & L. De Marinis

  2. Endocrinology, Barts and The London School of Medicine, Charterhouse square, London, UK

    D. Iacovazzo

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  1. D. Iacovazzo
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  2. L. De Marinis
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Correspondence to D. Iacovazzo.

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Iacovazzo, D., De Marinis, L. Treatment of hyperprolactinemia in post-menopausal women: pros. Endocrine 48, 76–78 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12020-014-0377-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12020-014-0377-9

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