The Role of Dutasteride in the Treatment of Benign Prostatic Obstruction and Related Conditions

October 2006 in “ Aging Health ”

Kim Davenport, Paul Abrams

TLDR Dutasteride effectively treats benign prostatic obstruction, improves urinary flow, reduces prostate size, and may prevent prostate cancer, but can cause sexual side effects.

The 2006 document highlights dutasteride as an effective treatment for benign prostatic obstruction (BPO), with the potential to improve symptoms, reduce prostate volume, and decrease the risks of acute urinary retention and surgery related to BPO. It is a dual 5α-reductase inhibitor, which lessens testosterone conversion to dihydrotestosterone. In a pooled analysis of three 2-year Phase III clinical trials with 2951 men, dutasteride significantly improved urinary flow rates and reduced prostate volume compared to placebo. The medication also shows promise in the chemoprevention of prostate cancer, treatment of hematuria due to BPE, and androgenic alopecia, potentially being more effective than finasteride for hair loss. Side effects are primarily sexual in nature, with impotence being the most common. The document also notes that PSA levels should be doubled for cancer screening in patients on dutasteride for at least six months. The REDUCE trial was mentioned as an ongoing study to further investigate dutasteride's role in prostate cancer prevention.

View this study on futuremedicine.com →

Discuss this study in the Community →

Cited in this study

5 / 5 results

research Marked Suppression of Dihydrotestosterone in Men with Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia by Dutasteride, a Dual 5α-Reductase Inhibitor

408 citations , May 2004 in “The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism/Journal of clinical endocrinology & metabolism”

Dutasteride more effectively lowers DHT levels in men with enlarged prostates than finasteride.

research The Long-Term Effect of Doxazosin, Finasteride, and Combination Therapy on the Clinical Progression of Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia

1707 citations , December 2003 in “The New England Journal of Medicine”

Combination therapy of doxazosin and finasteride safely and effectively reduces benign prostatic hyperplasia progression risk.

research 5 Alpha-Reductase Inhibitors: What's New?

47 citations , January 2003 in “Current opinion in urology”

A new drug, dutasteride, is at least as effective as the older drug, finasteride, for treating enlarged prostate and may have additional uses.

research The Effect of Finasteride on the Expression of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor and Microvessel Density: A Possible Mechanism for Decreased Prostatic Bleeding in Treated Patients

90 citations , January 2003 in “The Journal of Urology”

Finasteride may reduce prostate bleeding by lowering blood vessel growth factor levels and blood vessel density in certain prostate areas.

research Different Levels of 5α-Reductase Type I and II, Aromatase, and Androgen Receptor in Hair Follicles of Women and Men with Androgenetic Alopecia

416 citations , September 1997 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology”

People with hair loss have more androgen receptors and enzymes in certain follicles, with men and women showing different patterns.

1 / 1 results

research The Role of Dutasteride in the Treatment of Benign Prostatic Obstruction and Related Conditions

October 2006 in “Aging Health”

Dutasteride effectively treats benign prostatic obstruction, improves urinary flow, reduces prostate size, and may prevent prostate cancer, but can cause sexual side effects.