Impact of Anti-Androgen Therapies on COVID-19 Susceptibility: A Case-Control Study in Male Population from Two COVID-19 Regional Centers of Lombardy, Italy
April 2020
in “
medRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory)
”
TLDR Men taking 5-alpha reductase inhibitors for prostate issues may be less likely to experience severe COVID-19, but it doesn't prevent ICU admission or death.
In a case-control study conducted in Lombardy, Italy, from March 1 to April 24, 2020, it was found that men who were treated with 5-alpha reductase inhibitors (5ARIs) for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) might be less vulnerable to severe COVID-19. The study included 1,432 COVID-19 patients, of which 943 were males. Among these males, 45 (4.77%) were exposed to chronic 5ARI therapy. The prevalence of male COVID-19 patients aged over 55 years under 5ARI treatment was significantly less than expected based on the prevalence of 5ARI treatment among age-matched controls (5.57% vs. 8.14%; p=0.0083). However, there was no correlation found between the exposure to 5ARIs and protection against ICU admission or death. This led to the suggestion that anti-androgen therapies should be tested in randomized clinical trials to see if they can prevent the transition from paucisymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection to overt pulmonary disease.
