70 citations
,
November 2013 in “The BMJ” Tamsulosin for enlarged prostate may increase the risk of severe low blood pressure, especially when starting or restarting the medication.
66 citations
,
April 2017 in “International Journal of Andrology” Men taking 5α-reductase inhibitors for enlarged prostate have a higher chance of experiencing reduced sexual desire and erectile dysfunction.
57 citations
,
July 2016 in “The Journal of Sexual Medicine” 5α-reductase inhibitors increase the risk of sexual dysfunction, especially in men with enlarged prostate.
50 citations
,
March 2017 in “PeerJ” Using finasteride or dutasteride may cause long-lasting erectile dysfunction.
37 citations
,
April 2008 in “The Cochrane library” 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors can lower prostate cancer risk but may increase high-grade tumors and cause sexual side effects.
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
,
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
,
September 2013 in “Urology” Long-term use of a certain medication can worsen erectile function in aged rats by damaging penile muscle cells.
32 citations
,
May 2013 in “The Journal of Urology” Using finasteride or dutasteride does not increase the risk of male breast cancer.
31 citations
,
September 2008 in “International Journal of Andrology” 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors may cause a low incidence of erectile dysfunction that decreases over time.
29 citations
,
September 2014 in “Current Opinion in Endocrinology, Diabetes and Obesity” Finasteride and dutasteride effectively treat hair loss in men and women, but may cause side effects like low libido and depression.
29 citations
,
July 2012 in “The Journal of Sexual Medicine” Rats had lasting erectile problems after stopping a certain medication.
26 citations
,
December 2023 in “Prostate International” Medications for BPH can have significant side effects, so understanding these risks is important for treatment decisions.
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.
21 citations
,
October 2015 in “Current Drug Targets” Both dutasteride and finasteride improve urinary symptoms, but dutasteride may be better at reducing the risk of prostate surgery and sudden inability to urinate.
20 citations
,
January 2016 in “Intractable & Rare Diseases Research” Combination therapy, especially with finasteride, is effective for treating frontal fibrosing alopecia.
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.
18 citations
,
June 2017 in “Journal of the neurological sciences” Using 5 alpha reductase inhibitors may increase dementia risk in the first two years.
15 citations
,
July 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.
14 citations
,
April 2019 in “International Journal of Women's Health” Some treatments can stabilize Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia, but more research is needed to find effective treatments, and hair transplants often fail.
13 citations
,
November 2012 in “PubMed” 5α-reductase inhibitors may worsen sexual drive and spontaneous erections but don't worsen existing erectile or ejaculatory problems.
8 citations
,
October 2018 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology” The review suggests there's no agreed treatment for Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia, but hydroxychloroquine and 5a-reductase inhibitors are most effective. New treatments like platelet-rich plasma and LED light could help if standard treatments fail.
8 citations
,
January 2017 in “Fertility and Sterility” Urologic diseases and treatments in older men can negatively affect fertility, and doctors should talk to patients about this.
7 citations
,
June 2020 in “Translational Andrology and Urology” Finasteride for hair loss may cause lasting sexual, genitourinary, mental, and anti-androgenic side effects in young men.
6 citations
,
June 2022 in “Journal of Clinical Medicine” Tamsulosin with Serenoa repens is as effective as with 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors but causes fewer side effects.
6 citations
,
January 2018 in “Pharmacoepidemiology and Drug Safety” Starting 5-alpha reductase inhibitors does not significantly increase the risk of rhabdomyolysis in older men, but is linked to a higher risk of muscle conditions.
6 citations
,
March 2015 in “Journal of Endocrinological Investigation” Taking both finasteride and dutasteride for prostate issues may raise the risk of heart problems.
5 citations
,
November 2020 in “medRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory)” 5-Alpha-Reductase inhibitors shorten COVID-19 recovery time in men.
Dutasteride can stabilize hair loss in patients with frontal fibrosing alopecia, but its safety in women is unclear, so use it with caution.
4 citations
,
April 2020 in “medRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory)” Men taking 5-alpha reductase inhibitors for prostate issues may be less likely to experience severe COVID-19, but it doesn't prevent ICU admission or death.