Long-Term Effectiveness of Finasteride for Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia

    April 2004 in “ Journal watch ”
    Allan S. Brett
    TLDR Finasteride effectively reduces the need for surgery and urinary issues in men with BPH over the long term.
    In a 4-year study involving 3,040 men with symptomatic benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), finasteride significantly reduced the incidence of acute urinary retention or BPH-related surgery compared to a placebo (6.6% vs. 13.2%). A subsequent 2-year open-label extension showed that when all participants received finasteride, the rate of these events dropped to about 1% per year. Over 6 years, the cumulative rate was 8% for the original finasteride group and 15% for the original placebo group. The study concluded that finasteride effectively prevented acute urinary retention and the need for surgery over the long term, with side effects remaining uncommon. Treating 14 men with finasteride could prevent 1 from reaching the clinical endpoint within 6 years, making it potentially cost-effective despite its high cost.
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      by nkrata in Research  330 upvotes 1 year ago
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      in Chat  1 upvotes 2 weeks ago
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