Pericardial Disorders During Open Label Study of 3,747 Patients Treated with Systemic Minoxidil

In a study involving 3,747 patients treated with oral minoxidil for hair loss, no cases of syncope, tachycardia, or pericardial effusion were identified, indicating that low-dose oral minoxidil is well tolerated from a cardiovascular perspective. The study included 989 men and 2,736 women, with doses ranging from 0.1 mg to 20 mg daily. The risk of pericardial effusion is dose-related and typically associated with hypertension and additional renal or cardiac failure. There are no reports of pericardial effusion with topical minoxidil after 25 years of use. The lowest dose previously associated with pericardial effusion is 5 mg, with most cases occurring at doses greater than 20 mg.