The document suggests that drugs for prostate issues might cause lasting sexual, mental, and physical health problems due to blood vessel damage in the penis.
101 citations
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April 1994 in “Baillière's clinical endocrinology and metabolism” 5α-reductase is essential for male sexual development and its inhibitors have potential in treating various conditions related to hormone action.
52 citations
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February 2006 in “Current pharmaceutical design” 5α-reductase inhibitors and alpha-1 adrenergic antagonists together effectively treat benign prostatic hyperplasia, with long-term benefits.
45 citations
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January 2012 in “The Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular Biology” Too much AKR1C3 enzyme causes resistance to finasteride by increasing testosterone.
22 citations
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June 2002 in “Journal of Medicinal Chemistry” Compounds 15, 20, and 25 are strong inhibitors of human steroid 5α-reductase type 2.
4 citations
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May 2019 in “The World Journal of Men's Health” Taking 5 alpha reductase inhibitor medication slightly increases the risk of depression, especially as you get older.
January 2026 in “Open Science Framework” Oral and topical 5-alpha reductase inhibitors affect DHT levels and hair density differently in treating hair loss.
August 2025 in “medRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory)” 5-alpha reductase inhibitors may increase depression risk by 31%, but results vary based on comparison groups.
57 citations
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July 2016 in “The Journal of Sexual Medicine” 5α-reductase inhibitors increase the risk of sexual dysfunction, especially in men with enlarged prostate.
34 citations
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August 2011 in “Journal of Natural Medicines” Puerariae Flos extract may help treat hair loss by blocking a hair loss-related enzyme and promoting hair growth.
31 citations
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January 2017 in “Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology” Low testosterone and 5α-reductase inhibitors can harm men's metabolic and sexual health; testosterone therapy may help, but discussing 5α-RIs' side effects is important.
27 citations
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January 2017 in “Neuropsychopharmacology” The enzyme 5α-reductase is key in causing psychotic-like effects from sleep deprivation.
13 citations
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June 2018 in “Current Urology Reports” Hair loss drugs may cause sexual issues and infertility in men.
13 citations
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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
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July 2021 in “F1000Research” Plant-based compounds might be a promising alternative for prostate cancer treatment with fewer side effects.
6 citations
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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.
5 citations
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January 2018 in “Interdisciplinary sciences: computational life sciences” Accurate protein modeling can help develop new treatments for prostate cancer and other diseases.
4 citations
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August 2021 in “Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy” 5-alpha reductase inhibitors, like finasteride and dutasteride, may cause depression, but more research is needed to understand why.
2 citations
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December 2021 in “International Journal of Andrology” Most legal cases about 5α-reductase inhibitors, drugs for hair loss and prostate issues, complain about side effects and delayed cancer diagnosis, with most lawsuits settled out of court.
1 citations
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March 2021 in “F1000Research” Plant-based compounds might be effective, low-side-effect treatments for prostate cancer by blocking a specific enzyme.
February 2026 in “Postgraduate Medicine” 5-alpha reductase inhibitors slightly increase depression risk, but the risk varies based on the control group used.
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.
June 2023 in “Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology” Finasteride 5mg daily is the most effective for female pattern hair loss, with higher doses of treatments generally more effective.
78 citations
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January 2000 in “Gynecological Endocrinology” Norgestimate is the most effective birth control progestin for reducing an enzyme linked to acne and excessive hair growth in women.
34 citations
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July 1993 in “PubMed”
13 citations
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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.
8 citations
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June 1995 in “Helvetica Chimica Acta” Compound 15a was effective in inhibiting 5α-reductase.
3 citations
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June 2017 in “Reproductive biomedicine online” A certain mutation in the fetal alpha 5-reductase gene is linked to a higher risk of late miscarriage.
July 2025 in “American Journal on Addictions” Using 5-alpha reductase inhibitors may lower the risk of opioid addiction in men taking opioids.
November 2023 in “ACS Omega” New liposome treatment successfully delivers CRISPR to deactivate a key enzyme in androgen-related disorders.