47 citations,
January 2003 in “Current opinion in urology” A new drug, dutasteride, is at least as effective as the older drug, finasteride, for treating enlarged prostate and may have additional uses.
38 citations,
October 2014 in “Current Opinion in Endocrinology, Diabetes and Obesity” 5-alpha reductase deficiency leads to male sexual development issues and treatments like finasteride help with prostate enlargement and hair loss.
36 citations,
November 2020 in “Journal of The European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology” 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors may reduce COVID-19 symptoms in bald males.
34 citations,
February 1992 in “The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism” Finasteride and minoxidil together promote hair growth better than either alone.
33 citations,
January 2016 in “Skin appendage disorders” The document concludes that sexual and psychiatric side effects from 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors are reported, but more high-quality research is needed to understand how often they occur.
33 citations,
October 1994 in “The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism” Finasteride reduces hair growth and is safe for women with excessive hair.
32 citations,
July 2016 in “PubMed” The systematic review examined the adverse effects and safety of 5-alpha reductase inhibitors (finasteride and dutasteride), commonly used for androgenetic hair loss. Large studies indicated no increase in prostate cancer incidence but a potential rise in high-grade cancer detection without affecting survival rates. Depression was not directly linked, though small studies led to its inclusion as a side effect. Sexual side effects, such as erectile dysfunction and decreased libido, were reported in 3.4-15.8% of men. Limited research on women highlighted risks like birth defects, decreased libido, and other minor side effects. Overall, these inhibitors were well-tolerated but required thorough patient education on potential risks.
30 citations,
August 1992 in “The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism” Finasteride doesn't affect hormone levels in normal men.
29 citations,
July 2012 in “The Journal of Sexual Medicine” Rats had lasting erectile problems after stopping a certain medication.
22 citations,
August 2014 in “Clinical endocrinology” Taking finasteride for benign prostate hyperplasia may increase the risk of osteoporosis, especially at higher doses.
22 citations,
January 2001 in “Chemical & Pharmaceutical Bulletin” Some new progesterone derivatives are better at blocking testosterone conversion than a common drug.
22 citations,
September 1994 in “The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism” Finasteride reduces dihydrotestosterone, increases testosterone, and may treat hirsutism in women.
21 citations,
March 2018 in “JEADV. Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology/Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology” 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors may help stabilize or slow down hair loss in some frontal fibrosing alopecia patients, but more research is needed to confirm their effectiveness and safety.
19 citations,
April 2020 in “Dermatologic Therapy” Dutasteride works better than finasteride for hair loss, with both being safe to use.
19 citations,
October 2018 in “PLOS ONE” 5 alpha-reductase inhibitors can slightly improve symptoms of enlarged prostate but have a high risk of sexual side effects.
19 citations,
January 2016 in “Annals of Dermatology” Dutasteride is safe and effective for treating hair loss, but may decrease libido.
18 citations,
June 2017 in “Journal of the neurological sciences” Using 5 alpha reductase inhibitors may increase dementia risk in the first two years.
18 citations,
May 2012 in “Experimental Dermatology” No link found between specific genes and female pattern hair loss.
15 citations,
January 2017 in “Experimental Neurology” Finasteride reduces movement issues in Parkinson's disease rats.
15 citations,
August 2016 in “Urologic Clinics of North America” Finasteride and dutasteride are effective for long-term treatment of enlarged prostates but have sexual side effects and a risk of high-grade prostate cancer.
15 citations,
December 2006 in “Clinical interventions in aging” 5 alpha-reductase inhibitors like finasteride may lower prostate cancer risk and improve cancer screening.
15 citations,
June 1995 in “The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism” Finasteride doesn't affect erections much, but may decrease libido in men.
14 citations,
April 2021 in “Biology” Thai rice bran extracts, especially from Tubtim Chumphae rice, can significantly reduce the activity of hair loss genes, with x-tocopherol showing potential as an anti-hair loss product.
12 citations,
April 2020 in “Medical hypotheses” Men on 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors might have worse COVID-19 outcomes.
12 citations,
April 1995 in “Journal of Medicinal Chemistry” The new compounds moderately block a specific enzyme and strongly counteract a male hormone, suggesting potential for treating certain male-related health conditions.
12 citations,
March 1995 in “Journal of the American Chemical Society” Finasteride modifies 5-alpha-reductases through a two-step process, affecting inhibitor potency and possibly causing side effects.
11 citations,
August 2014 in “Current Urology Reports” Medications for enlarged prostate can cause sexual side effects like reduced libido, erectile dysfunction, and ejaculatory problems.
11 citations,
May 1996 in “The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism/Journal of clinical endocrinology & metabolism” The main enzyme found in pubic skin that could be targeted to treat excessive hair growth is 5 alpha-R2.
10 citations,
October 2018 in “Sexual medicine reviews” Men using hair loss drugs like finasteride may experience sexual side effects like erectile dysfunction, but it's unclear who will be affected and when. Treating depression and sexual symptoms is suggested, as these men often have higher rates of both. More research is needed to understand why these side effects occur.
10 citations,
August 2014 in “Skin research and technology” Sleep, testosterone levels, and a specific enzyme activity affect skin oil production in women.