A meta-analysis of the prevalence of cardiac valvulopathy in hyperprolactinemic patients treated with Cabergoline

Cabergoline is first line treatment for most patients with lactotrope pituitary tumors and hyperprolactinemia. Its use at high-dose in Parkinson's disease has largely been abandoned, because of its association with the development of a characteristic restrictive cardiac valvulopathy. Whether similar valvular changes occur in patients receiving lower doses for treatment of hyperprolactinemia is unclear, although stringent regulatory recommendations for echocardiographic screening exist. To conduct a meta-analysis exploring any link between the use of cabergoline for the treatment of hyperprolactinemia and clinically-significant cardiac valvulopathy. Full-text papers published up to and including January 2017 were found via PubMed and selected according to strict inclusion criteria. All case-control studies were included where patients had received ≥6 months cabergoline treatment for hyperprolactinemia. Single case reports, previous meta-analyses, review papers and papers pertaining solely to Parkinson's disease were excluded. 13/76 originally selected studies met inclusion criteria. A list of desired data were compiled and extracted from papers by independent observers. Each also independently graded for paper quality (bias) and met to reach consensus. More tricuspid regurgitation was observed (OR 3.74; 95% CI 1.79-7.8 p