Assessment of quality of life in recently post-menopausal women on dopaminergic therapy for pathological hyperprolactinaemia.
BACKGROUND
Psychological distress has been reported in pre-menopausal hyperprolactinaemic women. The aim of this study was to assess quality of life in a group of recently post-menopausal women with a long-term history of hyperprolactinaemia.


METHODS
Thirty-one recently post-menopausal hyperprolactinaemic women (age range 46-59 years) and 37 control women matched for age and menopausal status. Hyperprolactinaemia had been diagnosed 2-22 years before the study. All hyperprolactinaemic women were on dopaminergic therapy. The self-rating Kellner Symptom Questionnaire (KSQ) and the Hamilton Depression Scale (HDS) were used to evaluate psychiatric profile. Evaluation of climacteric symptoms was performed with the ad-hoc self-rating 21-item Menopausal Rating Scale (MRS). Serum PRL, E2, LH, FSH, and free-thyroid hormones were evaluated.


RESULTS
Hyperprolactinaemic women showed normal PRL on dopaminergic therapy. No difference was noted in PRL, LH, FSH, free-T4, and E2 levels between groups. Free-T3 was significantly (p = 0.001) lower in hyperprolactinaemic than in control women. There was no difference in overall scores on the MRS between the groups. Only the item "rapid and strengthened heart-beat" was significantly (p = 0.04) lower in hyperprolactinaemic than in control women. Control women showed a significant correlation between the score for this item and free-thyroid hormone levels. Overall KSQ scores and subsection analysis of items did not show significant differences between groups. On HDS evaluation, depressive symptoms were similar in hyperprolactinaemic and control women.


CONCLUSIONS
Quality of life seems unchanged in recently post-menopausal women with a long-term history of hyperprolactinaemia currently on dopaminergic therapy. The present study does not therefore support the differences in psychological profile reported in literature between untreated hyperprolactinaemic and control women unselected for age.
Giusti
M
M
DiSEM, Cattedra di Endocrinologia, University of Genova.
Foppiani
L
L
Penati
S
S
Marugo
A
A
Montini
P
P
Menichini
U
U
Rasore
E
E
Giordano
G
G
D015259:Dopamine Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006966:Hyperprolactinemia / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D017698:Postmenopause / Q000523:psychology*; D011388:Prolactin / Q000097:blood; D011788:Quality of Life; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
D015259:Dopamine Agents; D011388:Prolactin