Incidence of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in Men Receiving Steroid 5α-Reductase Inhibitors: Population-Based Cohort Study

April 2019 in “ BMJ. British medical journal ”

Li Wei, Edward Chia Cheng Lai, Yea Huei Kao-Yang, Brian R. Walker, Thomas M. MacDonald, Ruth Andrew

steroid 5α-reductase inhibitors dutasteride finasteride benign prostatic hyperplasia tamsulosin type 2 diabetes androgenic alopecia Propecia Avodart Flomax

TLDR Men taking dutasteride or finasteride have a slightly higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

The study investigated the incidence of new onset type 2 diabetes in men treated with steroid 5α-reductase inhibitors (dutasteride or finasteride) for benign prostatic hyperplasia, using data from the UK Clinical Practice Research Datalink and the Taiwanese National Health Insurance Research Database. It included 8,231 men on dutasteride, 30,774 on finasteride, and 16,270 on tamsulosin in the CPRD, and 1,251 on dutasteride, 4,194 on finasteride, and 86,263 on tamsulosin in the NHIRD. The study found a modestly increased risk of type 2 diabetes for dutasteride (adjusted hazard ratio 1.32) and finasteride (1.26) compared to tamsulosin, with consistent results across both databases. The findings suggest that men on 5α-reductase inhibitors may need additional monitoring for type 2 diabetes, especially those with other risk factors.

View this study on discovery.dundee.ac.uk →

Discuss this study in the Community →

Cited in this study

4 / 4 results

research Long-Term Dutasteride Therapy in Men with Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia Alters Glucose and Lipid Profiles and Increases Severity of Erectile Dysfunction

20 citations , June 2017 in “Hormone Molecular Biology and Clinical Investigation”

Long-term use of dutasteride for enlarged prostate may worsen blood sugar, cholesterol, and erectile dysfunction.

research Metabolic Dysfunction in Female Mice with Disruption of 5α-Reductase 1

11 citations , January 2017 in “Journal of Endocrinology/Journal of endocrinology”

Female mice with disrupted 5α-reductase 1 had significant metabolic issues, including stress response problems, insulin resistance, liver fat buildup, and obesity.

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 A Model for the Turnover of Dihydrotestosterone in the Presence of the Irreversible 5α-Reductase Inhibitors GI198745 and Finasteride

60 citations , December 1998 in “Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics”

Both drugs lower DHT levels, with GI198745 being more effective.

2 / 2 results

research What Do We Know About 5-Alpha Reductase Inhibitors?

January 2018 in “Surgical and Cosmetic Dermatology”

5-alpha reductase inhibitors like finasteride and dutasteride are effective for treating enlarged prostate and male pattern hair loss.

research Dutasteride for Men with Androgenic Alopecia Unresponsive to Finasteride

September 2016 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology”