Prolonged Use of Finasteride-Induced Gonadal Sex Steroids Alterations, DNA Damage, and Menstrual Bleeding in Women

January 2020 in “ Bioscience Reports ”

Gadah Albasher, May Bin-Jumah, Saleh A. Al-Farraj, Fatimah O. Al-Otibi, Nouf Alsultan, Saud Alarifi, Mohamed M. Abdel-Daim, Nahed Alharthi, Wedad Saeed Al-Qahtani

finasteride gonadal sex steroids DNA damage menstrual bleeding DHT estradiol progesterone androstenedione testosterone lymphocytes mRNA expression steroid metabolism vascular function androgenetic alopecia Propecia sex hormones hair loss hormone levels gene expression

TLDR Long-term use of finasteride in women can cause hormonal changes, DNA damage, and menstrual issues.

The study investigated the prolonged use of finasteride (5 mg/day) in 30 women aged 25-35, revealing significant alterations in gonadal sex steroids, DNA damage, and menstrual bleeding. The finasteride group showed decreased levels of DHT, estradiol, progesterone, and androstenedione, but increased testosterone levels. Additionally, finasteride induced DNA damage in lymphocytes and altered mRNA expression of genes related to steroid metabolism and vascular function. These changes were associated with heavy menstrual bleeding and irregular cycles, suggesting adverse effects on female reproductive health. The study concluded that long-term finasteride use in women for treating androgenetic alopecia posed several health risks, recommending against its use for this purpose. Limitations included self-reported data and a small sample size.

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