Metabolic association of serum prolactin in polycystic ovary syndrome: A retrospective analysis of 840 patients in Bangladesh

Abstract

Aims: To explore the metabolic influence of prolactin in subjects with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Methods: This retrospective cross-sectional study analyzed data of women newly diagnosed with PCOS attending the Endocrinology outpatient department of a tertiary hospital in Mymensingh, Bangladesh, during 2017–2022. Clinical, anthropometric, and laboratory data, including results of oral glucose tolerance test, measurements of serum lipids, total testosterone (TT), thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), and prolactin, were extracted and analyzed. Cases of high prolactin (≥100 ng/mL) were excluded. Results: 840 cases [median age 21.5 (18.0–25.7) years] were considered for final analysis; 17.1 % had hyperprolactinemia. Serum prolactin had significant negative correlations (P < 0.05) with age (rs = − 0.153), body mass index (rs = − 0.172), waist circumference (rs = − 0.193), triglyceride (rs = − 0.174), and TT (rs = − 0.133) levels, and the presence of metabolic syndrome (rs = − 0.073) and positive correlations with TSH (rs = 0.090). In multiple regression analysis, prolactin was inversely associated with fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and positively associated with TSH after correcting for age and BMI. Conclusion: An inverse association exists between serum prolactin levels and some metabolic risk factors, such as FPG, in women with PCOS.

Keywords

• Polycystic ovary syndrome
• Prolactin
• Hyperprolactinemia
• Cardiovascular risk factors
• Metabolic syndrome