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Low dose cabergoline for hyperprolactinaemia is not associated with clinically significant valvular heart disease

Michael White Diabetes Centre, Hull Royal Infirmary, Brocklehurst Building, 220-236 Anlaby Road, Hull HU3 2RW, UK¹ Department of Academic Cardiology, University of Hull, Hull, UK² Castle Hill Hospital, Castle Road, Cottingham, UK³ Department of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Hull York Medical School, Hull, UK

(Correspondence should be addressed to A Wakil; Email: ammar.wakil{at}gmail.com)

Objective: Recent trials suggest that using ergot-derived dopamine agonists such as cabergoline in the treatment of Parkinson's disease is associated with an increased risk of valvular heart disease. However, the dose of cabergoline used to treat hyperprolactinaemia is considerably less than that used in Parkinson's disease.

Design and methods: A cross-sectional comparative assessment. Forty-four patients treated with cabergoline for hyperprolactinaemia underwent transthoracic echocardiography and were compared with 566 sequential subjects complaining of palpitations, taken from a contemporary echocardiography database.

Results: The mean cumulative dose of cabergoline in the cases was 311 mg. There was no significant, severe or moderate, right- or left-sided valvular regurgitation in either group. Left heart: in the mitral and aortic valves, the rate of mild and trivial valvular regurgitation was not different between the two groups. Right heart: mild tricuspid and pulmonary regurgitation on colour Doppler alone was increased significantly in the cabergoline group, odds ratios of 3.1 and 7.8 respectively (95% confidence interval 1.0–9.6 and 0.8–78.4, P=0.04 and P<0.0001 respectively).

Conclusion: Cabergoline at doses sufficient to suppress hyperprolactinaemia for a period of 3–4 years is not associated with an increased risk of clinically significant valvular regurgitation.

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