CHANGES IN PROLACTIN LEVELS WITH THE MENOPAUSE - THE EFFECTS OF ESTROGEN ANDROGEN AND CALCITONIN TREATMENT/

Prolactin levels were evaluated over a 2-year period in three groups o f postmenopausal women: group A consisted of 35 untreated women distri buted according to time since the menopause; group B consisted of 17 w omen on a combined estrogen/androgen preparation (Gynodian depot(R)) i ntramuscularly at monthly intervals; and group C consisted of 12 women on 100 units of salmon calcitonin intranasally on alternate days and 1500 mg calcium daily. The control group (group D) consisted of 11 hea lthy premenopausal women. Serum prolactin, estradiol, follicle-stimula ting hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) levels were measured a t the onset and at 6-month intervals over 24 months. Mean serum prolac tin concentrations decreased significantly during the second postmenop ausal year in untreated women (p = 0.0001 and p = 0.0000 after 28 and 24 months, respectively) when compared to either the levels in premeno pausal women or those at the beginning of the menopause (p = 0.0007). Neither combined estrogen/ androgen nor calcitonin therapy significant ly influenced prolactin levels which were similar throughout the obser ved period. In the group on a combined estrogen/androgen preparation, physiological estradiol concentrations together with a suppression of gonadotropins during the first 6 months of therapy were achieved. In w omen treated with intranasal salmon calcitonin, estradiol, FSH and LH levels were unchanged. Our results show that prolactin levels decrease significantly during the second year of the menopause. Neither combin ed estrogen/androgen, nor salmon calcitonin therapy had any effect on serum prolactin concentrations in postmenopausal women.