50 citations
,
September 2016 in “The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism” This study found no evidence of androgen deficiency or decreased peripheral androgen action in men with persistent sexual symptoms after finasteride use, but identified links to depressed mood and abnormal brain function.
30 citations
,
September 2016 in “BMJ” This study found that 5-α reductase inhibitors do not significantly increase the risk of erectile dysfunction in men with benign prostatic hyperplasia or alopecia, although duration of benign prostatic hyperplasia may elevate risk.
19 citations
,
September 2016 in “Pharmacotherapy” This study found that the risk of persistent sexual dysfunction was higher in men who stopped using finasteride 1 mg compared to omeprazole users.
32 citations
,
July 2016 in “PubMed” This review discusses the adverse events associated with 5-alpha reductase inhibitors, finding them generally well-tolerated but noting potential risks like sexual side effects and psychological effects in men, and sparse data on use in women.
32 citations
,
February 2016 in “Journal of Dermatology” This study found that in Japanese male patients with androgenetic alopecia, dutasteride 0.5 mg daily over 52 weeks was associated with improvements in hair growth and appearance, with reported adverse events mostly mild.
43 citations
,
January 2016 in “International Journal of Andrology” This study found that men experiencing long-term symptoms after finasteride use for androgenetic alopecia frequently reported loss of penis sensitivity and anhedonia, among other effects, indicating potential post-finasteride syndrome.
111 citations
,
August 2015 in “Reviews in Endocrine and Metabolic Disorders” 5α-reductase inhibitors may cause persistent sexual dysfunction and depression, needing more research on long-term effects.
69 citations
,
July 2015 in “Pharmacotherapy” This study found that low-dose finasteride use in young men was associated with higher reporting of persistent sexual dysfunction, with some cases linked to suicidal ideation.
111 citations
,
June 2015 in “Age and Ageing” This study classified dutasteride, fesoterodine, and finasteride as beneficial for older or frail elderly patients, while suggesting caution or avoidance of α-blockers and antimuscarinics in this group.
20 citations
,
June 2015 in “Hormone Molecular Biology and Clinical Investigation” This study found that long-term finasteride therapy in men with BPH worsened erectile dysfunction and reduced testosterone levels, while these effects were not observed with tamsulosin.
44 citations
,
April 2015 in “PubMed” This study reports that clinical trials of finasteride for androgenic alopecia provide insufficient and systematically biased safety data, with most participants unrepresentative of those in pivotal trials that led to FDA approval.
7 citations
,
April 2015 in “JAMA Dermatology” This text does not provide any research findings or results from a study.
10 citations
,
December 2014 in “PubMed” This review examines reports of prolonged sexual dysfunction and depression associated with finasteride for male pattern hair loss, concluding that significant biases exist and further rigorous trials are needed to assess risks.
15 citations
,
September 2014 in “JAMA Dermatology” This discussion highlights the use of minimal incision extraction for lipoma removal, noting that it is a favored technique among dermatologists due to its efficiency, despite some hesitance with larger lipomas.
81 citations
,
June 2014 in “American Journal of Men's Health” This study highlights that adverse effects from finasteride may persist in men after discontinuation, indicating a potential "post-finasteride syndrome.
151 citations
,
May 2014 in “American Journal of Clinical Dermatology” This review concluded that oral finasteride for men and topical minoxidil for both genders have the most evidence supporting their effectiveness and safety for treating androgenetic alopecia.
2152 citations
,
November 2013 in “Urologia Internationalis” This study reviews the significant prevalence of organic etiologies, especially vascular causes, in erectile dysfunction among men under 40 and emphasizes thorough evaluation and consideration of treatment options like exercise and PDE-5 inhibitors.
34 citations
,
September 2013 in “Urology” Long-term use of a certain medication can worsen erectile function in aged rats by damaging penile muscle cells.
73 citations
,
July 2013 in “The Journal of Sexual Medicine” This study observed that androgenic alopecia patients taking finasteride had altered neuroactive steroid levels and persistent depression symptoms even after stopping the treatment.
66 citations
,
June 2013 in “Journal of Dermatological Treatment” This study reported no significant difference in efficacy or sexual dysfunction risk between 5α-reductase inhibitors and placebo for androgenetic alopecia, suggesting that dutasteride 0.5 mg may be considered pending further research.
3 citations
,
May 2013 in “Journal of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners” This review evaluates six primary studies on androgenetic alopecia treatments and suggests topical minoxidil or finasteride as first-line options, recommending further research into treatments and practice guidelines.
35 citations
,
April 2013 in “Sexual medicine reviews” This review found that 5α-reductase inhibitors are associated with slightly increased rates of sexual dysfunction, gynecomastia, and mood disorders, but the true significance and persistence of these effects remain unclear.
50 citations
,
February 2013 in “Annals of Clinical Biochemistry” This review discusses the production, role, and measurement of dihydrotestosterone (DHT) in various disorders of sexual development but does not report new clinical results.
134 citations
,
August 2012 in “The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry” This study found that former finasteride users with persistent sexual side effects reported significantly higher rates of depressive symptoms and suicidal thoughts compared to controls.
112 citations
,
July 2012 in “The Journal of Sexual Medicine” In this study, 96% of men with persistent sexual side effects from finasteride reported continued dysfunction after discontinuation, suggesting these effects may endure long-term.
29 citations
,
July 2012 in “The Journal of Sexual Medicine” In this study using a rat model, discontinuing dutasteride improved some relaxant responses but did not fully restore erectile function, indicating a potential time-dependent detriment of the drug.
185 citations
,
March 2011 in “The Journal of Sexual Medicine” This study found that 94% of healthy men reported low libido and 92% reported erectile dysfunction as persistent sexual side effects after using finasteride for male pattern hair loss, with these effects lasting on average 40 months post-discontinuation.
223 citations
,
December 2010 in “The Journal of Sexual Medicine” This review discusses persistent adverse effects of 5α‐reductase inhibitors, like diminished libido and erectile dysfunction, in some patients and highlights the need for patient discussions before therapy, especially for androgenetic alopecia.
152 citations
,
October 2010 in “Archives of Dermatology” This study found that daily oral finasteride may increase hair count and improve hair appearance assessments in men with androgenetic alopecia, but it also appears to raise the risk of sexual dysfunction.
225 citations
,
July 2007 in “The Journal of Sexual Medicine” In this study, patients informed about finasteride's potential sexual side effects reported a significantly higher occurrence of these side effects, suggesting a nocebo effect.
137 citations
,
March 2006 in “Cns Drug Reviews” This review explores finasteride's effects on neuroactive steroid levels and their potential influence on disorders like depression and alcohol withdrawal but reports no new clinical findings.
44 citations
,
July 2004 in “Archives of Dermatology” In this study, treatment with 1 mg of finasteride was associated with stable sexual function, suggesting that sexual side effects may be less common than indicated in clinical trials.
14 citations
,
January 2003 in “Actas Urológicas Españolas” This review found strong evidence supporting Finasteride's effectiveness in reducing symptoms and improving quality of life in patients with larger prostate volumes, earning it a grade A recommendation for clinical use.
36 citations
,
September 2001 in “Journal of The European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology” This study found that sexual and erectile function in men taking finasteride 1 mg did not significantly differ from age-matched controls, suggesting sexual side effects may be less common than previously reported.
65 citations
,
October 1999 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology” In this study, finasteride doses as low as 0.2 mg per day significantly reduced both scalp skin and serum DHT levels in men with androgenetic alopecia.
46 citations
,
October 1999 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology” This study found that finasteride at 1 mg/day was the most effective dose for treating male pattern hair loss, with similar efficacy to 5 mg/day and better results than lower doses.
12 citations
,
October 1999 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology” 5 citations
,
October 1999 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology”
211 citations
,
November 1990 in “The Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular Biology” Finasteride effectively treats BPH, but needs more trials to understand potential.
147 citations
,
April 1990 in “The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism” This study found that finasteride significantly suppresses serum dihydrotestosterone levels at all tested doses in normal male volunteers without significant adverse effects.
55 citations
,
March 1990 in “The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism” This study found that finasteride decreased plasma dihydrotestosterone levels and altered steroid metabolism, similar to the profile of male pseudohermaphrodites with inherited 5a-reductase deficiency.