January 2016 in “Archivio italiano di urologia, andrologia” The document concludes that the risk of sexual side effects from 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors is low and often temporary, but more research is needed on potential permanent effects.
January 2020 in “The Journal of Sexual Medicine” Using 5α-reductase inhibitors for hair loss can cause lasting sexual, physical, mental, and vascular health issues in men, even after stopping the medication.
34 citations
,
July 2018 in “American Journal of Physiology-heart and Circulatory Physiology” Minoxidil improves blood flow and vessel flexibility, potentially helping with vascular stiffness.
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.
April 2017 in “Australasian Journal of Dermatology” Different skin conditions show distinct types of vessel inflammation, a new quality of life index for vulval disease is reliable, a certain intrauterine system might be linked to chronic vaginal yeast infections, and oral minoxidil reduces hair loss in women.
5 citations
,
January 2024 in “Reproductive Medicine and Biology” Androgen and Wnt signals are crucial for developing and functioning male genitalia and erectile tissues.
36 citations
,
June 2014 in “PLOS ONE” Finasteride, a hair loss drug, may cause long-term sexual side effects due to changes in hormone receptor levels.
15 citations
,
June 1995 in “The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism” Finasteride doesn't affect erections much, but may decrease libido in men.
24 citations
,
December 2013 in “Sexual medicine reviews” Finasteride can cause sexual problems and depression in young men.
6 citations
,
August 2021 in “Clinical Epidemiology” Men using 5-alpha reductase inhibitors for prostate issues may have a slightly higher risk of blood clots.
April 2022 in “The Journal of Sexual Medicine” Finasteride is linked to sexual dysfunction, especially in younger users treating hair loss.
March 2026 in “The Aging Male” PDE5 inhibitors cause earlier adverse events in BPH treatment, requiring careful monitoring.
October 2006 in “Urology” Finasteride may help treat BPH by affecting certain biological markers.
1 citations
,
August 2015 in “Current Sexual Health Reports” 5α-reductase inhibitors can cause serious and possibly lasting sexual and psychological side effects.
December 2024 in “Archives of Dermatological Research”
February 2013 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology” Using hair loss drugs finasteride and dutasteride may cause sexual side effects.
9 citations
,
July 2011 in “The Journal of Sexual Medicine” Hair loss drugs like finasteride may cause lasting sexual and mood side effects, and more research is needed to understand these risks.
1 citations
,
January 2004 in “Chinese Journal of New Drugs and Clinical Remedies” Finasteride reduces VEGF expression and microvascular growth in diabetic rat retinas.
June 2011 in “British Journal of Urology” Regulatory challenges make developing combination therapies in urology difficult and costly.
1 citations
,
August 2015 in “Journal of the Korean neurological association” A man had a rare stroke possibly due to taking finasteride, which might have increased his hormone levels causing a blood clot. His memory loss didn't fully recover even after stopping the medication.
December 2013 in “The Journal of Urology”
November 2020 in “Reactions Weekly” Finasteride can cause lasting erectile dysfunction, low libido, and depression in some patients.
39 citations
,
January 2012 in “Indian Dermatology Online Journal” Finasteride may cause sexual side effects like erectile dysfunction, but they are reversible and affect less than 2% of men.
81 citations
,
June 2014 in “American Journal of Men's Health” Finasteride can cause lasting sexual, emotional, and cognitive issues, with varying severity.
June 2024 in “Trends in Urology & Men s Health” Post-finasteride syndrome is rare but serious and should be taken seriously.
1 citations
,
October 2024 in “JCEM Case Reports” 5α-reductase deficiency can cause ambiguous genitalia and gender dysphoria, treatable with testosterone.
1 citations
,
June 2023 in “Frontiers in Pharmacology” Vasodilators may worsen abdominal aortic aneurysm.
May 2003 in “Reactions Weekly” 4 citations
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September 2025 in “Biomolecules” The effect of GLP-1 RAs on erectile function is unclear and needs more research.
October 2021 in “European urology open science”