Exploring sex-specific hematological changes and their impact on quality of life in patients with prolactinoma
Authors' conclusion
Patients with prolactinoma show sex-dependent changes in RBC parameters. Unlike women, men exhibit decreased HCT and Hb levels irrespective of adenoma size. Of note, the failure to recover from hypogonadism significantly affected the QoL of men.
Study context
- Population
- Patients with prolactinoma, at initial diagnosis and after prolactin´s (PRL) normalization under dopamine agonistsSF-36 in 57 women, 34 men
- Participants
- 205 patients
- Exposure
- At diagnosis vs after PRL normalization under dopamine agonists, by sex and adenoma size
- Womenn = 127
- Outcome
- Sex-related changes in RBC parameters and their impact on QoL
- Follow-up
- At diagnosis and after PRL normalization
Methodological detailsmonocentric
- Monocentric
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Men with microprolactinoma: median hematocrit (HCT), diagnosis vs after PRL normalization
42.3 vs.44.0%
p < 0.005
Men with microprolactinoma: Hemoglobin (Hb), diagnosis vs after PRL normalization
14.5 vs. 15.1 g/dL
p < 0.005
Men with macroprolactinoma: HCT, diagnosis vs after PRL normalization
40.2 vs. 43.9%
p < 0.0001
Men with macroprolactinoma: Hb, diagnosis vs after PRL normalization
14.0 vs. 15.1 g/dL
p < 0.0001
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Hypogonadism in men
- Hypogonadism at baseline
- 73%
- Hypogonadism after PRL normalization
- 11%
SF-36 energy in men, diagnosis vs after PRL normalization
- Energy improvement, median
- 50 vs. 60, p < 0.05
Quality of life (QoL)
- Changes in Hb and HCT did not significantly impact QoL of women and men
- Persistent hypogonadism after PRL normalization negatively impacted all QoL scores of men
Original publication
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