Mohammed A Said1, Akanksha Mehta2. 1. Department of Urology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA. 2. Department of Urology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA. akanksha.mehta@emory.edu.
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Male pattern hair loss, mediated by dihydrotestosterone, is a common hair loss disorder, affecting over 50% of men over the age of 50. The 5-α reductase inhibitors, finasteride and dutasteride, are Food and Drug Administration-approved drugs for the treatment of this disorder. Several recent studies have reported adverse sexual and spermatogenic events among young men using 5-α reductase inhibitors, such as erectile dysfunction, decreased ejaculate volume, decreased libido, and infertility. In this review, we summarize and analyze the literature regarding the efficacy and safety of these medications, with an overall focus on men's health. RECENT FINDINGS: Finasteride for the treatment of male pattern hair loss was considered safe according to many previous clinical trials. However, these trials have been recently criticized for inadequate safety reporting. Comprehensive review of the current literature reveals that there is a disproportionately high number of men with 5-α reductase inhibitor-associated sexual dysfunction and infertility. Although uncommon, the use of 5-α reductase inhibitors is associated with serious and persistent sexual and reproductive side effects, such as erectile dysfunction, decreased ejaculate volume, decreased libido, and infertility.
PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Male pattern hair loss, mediated by dihydrotestosterone, is a common hair loss disorder, affecting over 50% of men over the age of 50. The 5-α reductase inhibitors, finasteride and dutasteride, are Food and Drug Administration-approved drugs for the treatment of this disorder. Several recent studies have reported adverse sexual and spermatogenic events among young men using 5-α reductase inhibitors, such as erectile dysfunction, decreased ejaculate volume, decreased libido, and infertility. In this review, we summarize and analyze the literature regarding the efficacy and safety of these medications, with an overall focus on men's health. RECENT FINDINGS:Finasteride for the treatment of male pattern hair loss was considered safe according to many previous clinical trials. However, these trials have been recently criticized for inadequate safety reporting. Comprehensive review of the current literature reveals that there is a disproportionately high number of men with 5-α reductase inhibitor-associated sexual dysfunction and infertility. Although uncommon, the use of 5-α reductase inhibitors is associated with serious and persistent sexual and reproductive side effects, such as erectile dysfunction, decreased ejaculate volume, decreased libido, and infertility.
Entities:
Keywords:
5-α reductase inhibitors; Dutasteride; Finasteride; Infertility; Male pattern hair loss; Sexual dysfunction
Authors: Shehzad Basaria; Ravi Jasuja; Grace Huang; Whitney Wharton; Hong Pan; Karol Pencina; Zhuoying Li; Thomas G Travison; Jag Bhawan; Renaud Gonthier; Fernand Labrie; Alain Y Dury; Carlo Serra; Allen Papazian; Michael O'Leary; Sami Amr; Thomas W Storer; Emily Stern; Shalender Bhasin Journal: J Clin Endocrinol Metab Date: 2016-09-23 Impact factor: 5.958
Authors: Tina Kiguradze; William H Temps; Steven M Belknap; Paul R Yarnold; John Cashy; Robert E Brannigan; Beatrice Nardone; Giuseppe Micali; Dennis Paul West Journal: PeerJ Date: 2017-03-09 Impact factor: 2.984