Follow-Up of 1 mg Finasteride Treatment of Male Pattern Baldness: Difference Between Clinical Trials and Private Office Follow-Up

May 2004 in “ Dermatologic Surgery ”

Marvin J. Rapaport

finasteride male pattern baldness androgenic alopecia Propecia

TLDR Most men stopped using finasteride for baldness due to unsatisfactory results or were lost to follow-up, and those who continued saw minimal to moderate improvement.

In a retrospective study from 2004, 1,261 men were prescribed 1 mg finasteride for male pattern baldness and followed up via phone calls every 3 months. After 1 to 3 years, only 32% (414 men) continued with the treatment, 24% (297 men) stopped due to unsatisfactory results, and 44% (549 men) were lost to follow-up. Of the men who continued, 211 returned detailed questionnaires, with only a small percentage reporting hair growth. The study aimed to inform future prescribing practices and set realistic expectations for finasteride, underscoring the necessity for independent studies to assess long-term outcomes. The findings suggested that patients perceived the drug's benefits as minimal to moderate, and the study highlighted the need for objective measures in clinical trials to prevent bias in prescribing decisions.

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Research cited in this study

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