Assessment of cardiac valve dysfunction in patients receiving cabergoline treatment for hyperprolactinaemia.

OBJECTIVE: Cabergoline is a highly effective medical treatment for patients with hyperprolactinaemia. There is an increased risk of valvular heart disease in patients receiving cabergoline for Parkinson's disease. This study examined whether cabergoline treatment of hyperprolactinaemia is associated with a greater prevalence of valvulopathy.

DESIGN: Cross-sectional, two-dimensional echocardiographic study performed by a single echocardiographer.

PATIENTS: Seventy-two patients (median age 36 years, 19 men) receiving cabergoline for hyperprolactinaemia, and 72 controls prospectively matched for age, sex and cardiovascular risk factors. Measurements Assessment of valvular mobility, regurgitation and morphology.

RESULTS: Median cumulative dose exposure for cabergoline was 126 (58-258) mg, and patients had received cabergoline for 53 (26-96) months. The frequency of mild mitral regurgitation was identical (5/72, 7%) in patient and control groups. Mild aortic regurgitation was not significantly different between groups (4/72 [controls] vs 2/72 [patients], P = 0.681). There was only one case of tricuspid regurgitation, which was mild and observed in a cabergoline-treated patient. Nodular thickening of the right coronary cusp, noncoronary cusp or left coronary cusp of the aortic valve was observed at a similar frequency in both groups. There were no cases of extensive thickening of any valvular leaflet.

CONCLUSION: Our data demonstrates that there is no association between cabergoline treatment for hyperprolactinaemia and valvulopathy. This study therefore supports continued use of low-dose cabergoline for patients with hyperprolactinaemia.