A Risk-Benefit Assessment of Treatment with Finasteride in Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia

    January 1998 in “ Drug safety
    Peter Ekman
    TLDR Finasteride helps reduce prostate size and symptoms in BPH but is less effective than terazosin and works best for larger prostates.
    The document assessed the risk-benefit profile of finasteride for treating benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Finasteride reduced serum 5α-DHT levels by 80%, leading to a 20-25% reduction in prostate size and a 30% improvement in prostatic symptoms over 6 months, with effects lasting up to 6 years. However, it was less effective than the α-blocker terazosin in a double-blind study and showed significant benefits only in patients with prostate glands larger than 40ml. Finasteride was well tolerated, with a 3-4% incidence of impotence and some cases of decreased ejaculatory volume and gynaecomastia. Early intervention with finasteride could reduce the need for surgical procedures over a 2-year period.
    Discuss this study in the Community →

    Research cited in this study

    3 / 3 results

    Related Community Posts Join

    6 / 1000+ results

      community DHT/Testosterone levels in scalp Fin VS Dut.

      in Finasteride/Dutasteride  60 upvotes 5 months ago
      Dutasteride raises scalp testosterone by 99%, which may not be ideal for those sensitive to all androgens. Some argue finasteride's balancing act might be better, while others believe dutasteride is superior for hair regrowth.

      community Six months of only Dermarolling

      in Progress Pictures  157 upvotes 1 year ago
      User tried dermarolling for hair loss and shared progress pictures. Some suggest adding finasteride and minoxidil, while others debate effectiveness and frequency of dermarolling.
      FCE 28260: A Forgotten 5α-Reductase Inhibitor

      community FCE 28260: A Forgotten 5α-Reductase Inhibitor

      in Research  330 upvotes 3 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 Does finasteride/dutasteride reverse aging?

      in Chat  45 upvotes 2 months ago
      Finasteride and dutasteride can improve skin texture and reduce acne by lowering DHT but do not reverse aging. They may enhance skin and hair health for some, but can also cause side effects like dry skin and sexual dysfunction.

    Related Research

    2 / 2 results