30 citations
,
September 2016 in “BMJ” This study found that 5-α reductase inhibitors do not significantly increase the risk of erectile dysfunction in men with benign prostatic hyperplasia or alopecia, although duration of benign prostatic hyperplasia may elevate risk.
57 citations
,
July 2016 in “The Journal of Sexual Medicine” This study concluded that 5α-reductase inhibitors were linked to increased sexual dysfunction in men with benign prostatic hyperplasia, but not in men with androgenetic alopecia.
32 citations
,
July 2016 in “PubMed” This review discusses the adverse events associated with 5-alpha reductase inhibitors, finding them generally well-tolerated but noting potential risks like sexual side effects and psychological effects in men, and sparse data on use in women.
32 citations
,
February 2016 in “Journal of Dermatology” This study found that in Japanese male patients with androgenetic alopecia, dutasteride 0.5 mg daily over 52 weeks was associated with improvements in hair growth and appearance, with reported adverse events mostly mild.
17 citations
,
June 2012 in “Australasian Journal of Dermatology” This study found that adding low-dose dutasteride to ongoing finasteride treatment significantly improved hair density in a patient with androgenetic alopecia.
20 citations
,
April 2012 in “Fertility and Sterility” In this laboratory study with rats, treatment with finasteride reduced dihydrotestosterone levels and fertility parameters, with a 30-day recovery period proving insufficient to fully restore sperm function and fertility.
25 citations
,
February 2012 in “The Journal of Sexual Medicine” In this study, oral finasteride treatment for four weeks reduced the weight of the corpus cavernosum in rats but did not significantly affect erectile function.
223 citations
,
December 2010 in “The Journal of Sexual Medicine” This review discusses persistent adverse effects of 5α‐reductase inhibitors, like diminished libido and erectile dysfunction, in some patients and highlights the need for patient discussions before therapy, especially for androgenetic alopecia.
78 citations
,
December 2008 in “The Journal of Sexual Medicine” This review highlights that sexual dysfunction associated with 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors is recognized in clinical literature, with erectile dysfunction being the most common adverse effect, followed by ejaculatory dysfunction and decreased libido.
56 citations
,
April 1998 in “Steroids” Finasteride reduces hair loss and treats BPH without major hormone changes, but may cause sexual dysfunction.
