Finasteride: The First 5α-Reductase Inhibitor
July 1993
in “Pharmacotherapy”
TLDR Finasteride treats enlarged prostate and baldness, but may cause limited urinary improvement and sex-related side effects.
Finasteride is a drug that inhibits the enzyme 5α-reductase, which converts testosterone to dihydrotestosterone (DHT). It is used to treat benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and male pattern baldness. Studies have shown that it can effectively reduce DHT levels and prostate volume in patients with BPH, but its efficacy in improving urinary symptoms is limited. Finasteride may also reduce the level of prostate-specific antigen (PSA), which can interfere with diagnostic screening for prostate cancer. The drug has low adverse events, but may cause sex-related side effects. Its potential use in treating other DHT-mediated disorders remains investigational.
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Cited in this study
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research Reversible decreases of fertility in male Sprague-Dawley rats treated orally with finasteride, a 5α-reductase inhibitor
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research The clinical development of a 5α-reductase inhibitor, finasteride
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Finasteride exposure in pregnancy causes genital abnormalities in male rats.
research Effects of Finasteride (MK-906), a 5α-Reductase Inhibitor, on Circulating Androgens in Male Volunteers*
Finasteride safely lowers DHT levels without affecting testosterone.
research C19and C215β/5αMetabolite Ratios in Subjects Treated with the 5α-Reductase Inhibitor Finasteride: Comparison of Male Pseudohermaphrodites with Inherited 5α-Reductase Deficiency*
Finasteride may treat baldness but less effective for those with 5α-reductase deficiency.
research Species Differences in Prostatic Steroid 5α-Reductases of Rat, Dog, and Human
Different animals have unique versions of the enzyme that changes testosterone into another hormone, which is important for creating effective treatments for prostate and hair loss conditions.
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Finasteride effectively blocks enzyme causing male pattern baldness.
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