New study on the effects of 5 alpha reductase inhibitors and ED
Internet hype regarding medical issues that are emotionally charged (like autism and vaccines, etc.) should always be met with a healthy dose of skepticism. Hair loss is one of these medical issues. Decades of scientific research and reams of data seem to show this drug is both safe and effective. And yet the Internet portrays a different view that is very convincing and concerning! Which characterization should you believe?
I like hair. So, as a physician specializing in hair loss and its treatment, I have an inherent bias toward any treatment that will grow hair. My first duty though, is to provide treatments that will not harm my patients – so when anything new comes out about the safety of hair loss medications like finasteride my information appetite is voracious.
The limitation of this study is that it relied on data of written prescriptions – not dispensed medications. That means any one patient may not have actually filled a prescription, or even taken the drug! However, that is unlikely with 71,849 patients, so it is hard to dispute this data.
So the facts as they stand are this:
- 5ARI therapy does not increase the risk of incident ED, regardless of indication for use
- risk factors known to be independently associated with risk for ED are increased body mass index (BMI), depression, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, smoking, and diabetes
Medications for hair loss are not indicated for everyone. Each patient is different, and for some patients, finasteride is simply not their first choice or their only option. But for those who interested in using drugs like finasteride to keep their hair, this study should provide a welcome sigh of relief.
References:
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27659058
- https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/869443?nlid=109620_1001&src=WNL_mdplsfeat_161004_mscpedit_urol&uac=90007MX&spon=15&impID=1209180&faf=1