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.
13 citations
,
June 2018 in “Current Urology Reports” Hair loss drugs may cause sexual issues and infertility in men.
13 citations
,
January 2017 in “Chemical & Pharmaceutical Bulletin” Certain compounds, especially those with a propionic substituent, could potentially be new treatments for hair loss and similar disorders.
12 citations
,
March 2017 in “Medicinal Chemistry Research” Some curcumin-like compounds can effectively and safely block the enzyme linked to hair loss and other conditions related to male hormones.
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
,
May 2010 in “Analytica Chimica Acta” New tests detect finasteride and dutasteride in urine quickly and easily.
8 citations
,
June 2020 in “The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism” Taking 5α-reductase inhibitors with prednisolone can worsen its negative effects on metabolism.
7 citations
,
April 2015 in “General and Comparative Endocrinology” Finasteride negatively affects fish reproduction and gonadal development.
5 citations
,
August 2018 in “Sexual Medicine Reviews” 5α-Reductase inhibitors do not consistently increase testosterone levels in the blood.
4 citations
,
October 2018 in “International Braz J Urol” Taking 5-alpha reductase inhibitors does not increase the risk of breast cancer in men.
4 citations
,
June 2015 in “Journal of Genetics/Journal of genetics” Genetic differences within ethnic groups may affect prostate cancer treatment effectiveness.
4 citations
,
September 2010 in “Medical Hypotheses”
3 citations
,
April 2021 in “Journal of Medicinal Chemistry” Finasteride may affect PNMT, causing side effects.
3 citations
,
September 2020 in “Bladder cancer” 5α-reductase inhibitors don't stop bladder cancer from developing or getting worse.
3 citations
,
August 2020 in “Urology Journal” Using 5-alpha reductase inhibitors may increase the risk of mild depression.
3 citations
,
March 2005 in “The Journal of urology/The journal of urology” Dutasteride may help shrink prostate cancer tumors.
2 citations
,
July 2025 in “Discover Chemistry.” Alstonia boonei phytochemicals show promise as alternative treatments for BPH with fewer side effects than current drugs.
2 citations
,
May 2019 in “PubMed” Oral finasteride and dutasteride may negatively affect erectile function in rats.
2 citations
,
March 2018 in “Current Opinion in Urology” 5-alpha reductase inhibitors can cause sexual, neurologic, endocrine, and cardiovascular side effects, but these are rare and usually stop after ending treatment.
2 citations
,
April 2017 in “European Urology” Using finasteride for hair loss or prostate issues does not significantly raise the risk of erectile dysfunction.
1 citations
,
July 2024 in “The International Journal of Medical Science and Health Research” 5α-reductase inhibitors may help with prostate cancer but could increase the risk of severe tumors, so careful use is advised.
1 citations
,
August 2015 in “Current Sexual Health Reports” 5α-reductase inhibitors can cause serious and possibly lasting sexual and psychological side effects.
30 citations
,
August 1992 in “The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism” Finasteride doesn't affect hormone levels in normal men.
9 citations
,
October 1993 in “The Journal of Clinical Pharmacology” Finasteride doesn't affect antipyrine metabolism, so interactions with cytochrome P-450 enzyme drugs are unlikely.
1 citations
,
January 2015 in “Journal of Clinical Toxicology” Babies were mostly born healthy from fathers who took finasteride, but some pregnancies ended early; more research is needed.
46 citations
,
October 1999 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology” Finasteride effectively treats male pattern hair loss with a 1 mg daily dose.
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.
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.