November 2024 in “Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care” 5 alpha reductase inhibitors can cause sexual, cognitive, and muscle side effects, and may slightly increase aggressive cancer risk.
August 2024 in “Research Square (Research Square)” Using 5-alpha reductase inhibitors may lower the risk of breast cancer in females.
November 2023 in “Expert Opinion on Pharmacotherapy” Finasteride and dutasteride are effective in treating male hair loss but can cause sexual side effects and birth defects.
February 2020 in “Definitions” 5 Alpha-Reductase Inhibitors reduce the effects of testosterone by blocking its conversion into a stronger form.
April 2017 in “The Journal of urology/The journal of urology” 5-alpha reductase inhibitors slightly reduce urinary symptoms and may lower surgery and acute retention risks in men.
71 citations,
November 2012 in “Expert Opinion on Drug Safety” 5-alpha reductase inhibitors can cause sexual side effects like erectile dysfunction and reduced sexual desire, sometimes lasting after stopping the drug.
67 citations,
February 1997 in “Teratology” Finasteride, when given in high oral doses to pregnant monkeys, caused genital abnormalities in male fetuses, but not in female fetuses or those exposed to intravenous finasteride.
59 citations,
September 1994 in “The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism” Finasteride reduces scalp DHT levels, potentially treating male pattern baldness.
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.
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.
35 citations,
June 2018 in “Urology” The review suggests younger men taking 1 mg finasteride report more side effects, including sexual, skin, metabolic, and psychological issues.
35 citations,
April 2013 in “Sexual medicine reviews” 5-alpha reductase inhibitors slightly increase the risk of sexual and mood side effects, and breast growth in men.
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” 5-alpha reductase inhibitors are generally safe but can cause sexual side effects and require patient education on 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,
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.
15 citations,
December 2006 in “Clinical interventions in aging” 5 alpha-reductase inhibitors like finasteride may lower prostate cancer risk and improve cancer screening.
12 citations,
April 2020 in “Medical hypotheses” Men on 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors might have worse COVID-19 outcomes.
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,
October 1992 in “Hormone and Metabolic Research” Finasteride safely lowers DHT levels without affecting hormone levels, helping with conditions like enlarged prostate, acne, and hair loss.
9 citations,
July 2011 in “The Journal of Sexual Medicine” Hair loss drugs like finasteride may cause lasting sexual and mood side effects, and more research is needed to understand these risks.
7 citations,
January 2013 in “European Urology” 5-Alpha reductase inhibitors may prevent prostate cancer but are not widely used due to concerns about trial relevance and potential risks, and more research is needed to confirm long-term benefits.