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TOPLINE
Higher prolactin levels were associated with poorer diastolic function and worse New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class, a marker of heart failure severity, in men with type 2 diabetes (T2D) but not in women. However, prolactin showed no association with systolic function, lipid levels, or A1c levels in either sex.
METHODOLOGY
- Researchers conducted a cross-sectional analysis of a multicentre cohort study to assess whether prolactin levels were associated with systolic function, diastolic function, lipid levels, and A1c levels in men and women with T2D.
- They evaluated 937 patients with T2D (mean age, 65.5 years; 66% men) between 2011 and 2013. The mean duration of diabetes was 12.1 years.
- Plasma prolactin levels were measured using a two-step immunoassay (reference range, 40-400 mIU/L in men and 35-600 mIU/L in women). The median levels were 126 and 121 mIU/L in women and men, respectively.
- The primary outcome was systolic function, assessed via left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and analysed as a continuous variable.
- Secondary outcomes included global longitudinal strain (GLS) — a marker of left ventricular function — and diastolic function, assessed through lateral E/e′, with a value of 14 or higher indicating diastolic dysfunction. Other secondary outcomes were NYHA class (I-IV) for heart failure, A1c levels, and lipid profile.
TAKEAWAY
- In the adjusted model, each unit increase in the log-transformed prolactin level was associated with an increase of 2.43 in E/e' (95% CI, 0.9-3.9; P = .001) among men. No such association was observed among women (P = .13).
- Higher prolactin levels were positively associated with NYHA class in men (P < .001) but not in women (P = .82); the median prolactin levels were 117 mIU/L in men with NYHA class I vs 142 mIU/L in those with NYHA class III or IV.
- Prolactin levels were not associated with LVEF or GLS in either men or women.
- No significant associations were found between prolactin levels and A1c, low-density lipoprotein, high-density lipoprotein, or triglyceride levels in either sex.
IN PRACTICE
"[The study] findings call for intervention studies to support or reject a causal role for prolactin in diastolic dysfunction in patients with type 2 diabetes," the authors wrote.
SOURCE
This study was led by Jesper Krogh, Department of Medicine, Zealand University Hospital, Region Zealand, Denmark. It was published online on October 21, 2026, in Endocrine Connections.
LIMITATIONS
The cross-sectional design may have introduced reverse causation. Despite adjustment, residual confounding cannot be completely excluded. The prolactin level was measured only once, and stress may have affected the value.
DISCLOSURES
This study received funding from Skibsreder Per Henriksen, R og Hustrus Fond. The authors declared no relevant conflicts of interest.
This article was created using several editorial tools, including AI, as part of the process. Human editors reviewed this content before publication.
