No Increased Risk of Cardiovascular Events with Dutasteride vs Finasteride
December 2016
in “
Reactions Weekly
”
TLDR Dutasteride and finasteride have equal safety for treating BPH without increased heart risk.
A 10-year study conducted in Canada found that dutasteride, a 5-alpha reductase inhibitor used to treat benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), is not associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular (CV) events compared to finasteride, another 5-alpha reductase inhibitor. The study involved male residents of Ontario, Canada, aged 26-66 years who were newly treated with either dutasteride or finasteride. The primary analysis revealed no difference in the risk of hospitalization for heart failure in patients treated with dutasteride versus finasteride. The researchers concluded that their results should provide reassurance to physicians and patients of the equivalent safety of dutasteride and finasteride for BPH.