Efficacy and Safety of Finasteride Monotherapy in Patients with Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia: A Critical Review of the Literature

The critical review analyzed the efficacy and safety of Finasteride monotherapy for treating lower urinary tract symptoms associated with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). The review included 12 original articles with a total of 8,821 patients from randomized clinical trials. The studies showed that Finasteride had a moderate effect on reducing prostate volume and a significant impact on improving the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) and maximum urinary flow rate (Qmax). No severe adverse events or psychiatric disorders were reported, although sexual health dysfunctions were more common compared to placebo. The review concluded that while Finasteride monotherapy demonstrated significant clinical benefits, the limited size of the available reports suggested a need for additional studies to further evaluate its efficacy and safety, particularly in combination with alpha blockers.