The Persistent Effects of 5α-Reductase Inhibitors Used in the Treatment of Androgenic Alopecia on Men’s Health

    January 2020 in “ The Journal of Sexual Medicine ”
    J. Rivera Mirabal, Jeffrey K. Than, J. Annaisie, Ali Antar, Wen Yi Song, Boriss Losso, Alexander W. Pastuszak, Tamara Kohn, Mohit Khera
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    TLDR Using 5α-reductase inhibitors for hair loss can cause lasting sexual, physical, mental, and vascular health issues in men, even after stopping the medication.
    Three years ago, a retrospective case-control study was conducted on 50 men to understand the persistent effects of 5α-reductase inhibitors (5ARIs), used in treating androgenic alopecia (AGA), on various aspects of men's health. The study found a significant difference in the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) score between the 25 men who had used 5ARIs and the control group. Furthermore, 68% of the men who had used 5ARIs had a vascular abnormality. The study concluded that besides the well-known sexual side effects, 5ARIs may cause persistent genitourinary, physical, psycho-cognitive, anti-androgenic, and penile vascular changes even after discontinuation. The Post Finasteride Syndrome Foundation supported this study.
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      in Research/Science  8 upvotes 3 months ago
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      FCE 28260: A Forgotten 5α-Reductase Inhibitor

      community FCE 28260: A Forgotten 5α-Reductase Inhibitor

      in Research  330 upvotes 7 months ago
      FCE 28260 (PNU 156765), an under-explored 5α-reductase inhibitor, showcases promising results in research by Giudici et al., outperforming well-known treatments like Finasteride in reducing the conversion of testosterone to DHT. Its superior efficacy, demonstrated through lower IC50 values in both natural and human recombinant enzyme studies, suggests it could offer more effective management of DHT-related conditions. Additionally, its lower molecular weight hints at better potential for topical application, potentially offering advantages in treating conditions such as androgenic alopecia. Despite its potential, it has not advanced in development, possibly due to financial limitations, leaving its therapeutic prospects and side effect profile largely unexplored.

      community Massive study on finasteride side effects released

      in Finasteride/Dutasteride  83 upvotes 2 years ago
      The release of a study on 5a-reductase inhibitors (finasteride and dutasteride) which showed an increased risk of depression, dementia, decreased libido, and reduced semen load as potential side effects; discussion around other forms of hair loss treatments such as topical minoxidil, RU58841, or opting to accept baldness; and advice to consider professional help for deeper issues related to hair loss.

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