Faculty Opinions Recommendation of Association Between 5-Alpha Reductase Inhibition and Risk of Hip Fracture

Jacobsen and colleagues conducted a case-control study using the Kaiser database to investigate the association between hip fracture risk and the use of 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors in men. The study found that these inhibitors, which prevent the conversion of testosterone to dihydrotestosterone (DHT), did not increase the risk of hip fractures and may actually decrease it. This finding was significant as many older men use these medications for prostate hypertrophy and cancer prevention. The study also suggested that DHT likely did not play a role in maintaining bone mineral density in men, and the slight increase in testosterone from these medications could be beneficial.