Hair loss drugs linked with erectile dysfunction

Conclusion This review confirms what is already known, that 5α-reductase inhibitors (5α-RIs) increase risk of erectile dysfunction. However, it also shows that even the low-dose formulation of finasteride taken by younger men for male pattern baldness is associated with increased risk. It is important to recognise that erectile dysfunction is already a known risk of the drug. It occurred in around one in 31 young men exposed – but the vast majority of cases resolved after stopping the drug. Erectile dysfunction only persisted in less than one in 100 young men after discontinuation of 5α-RI treatment. Even for men taking the standard higher dose for enlarged prostate, only 1.4% had persistent erectile problems after stopping the drug. Therefore it is a slight media distortion to suggest that this is a permanent problem and "Viagra won't help". The researchers looked for prescription of drugs such as Viagra to indicate the problem in the medical records, but they haven't looked at response to this at all. Another limitation is that this study looked at medical records from one region of the US only. This may not give a true representation of how common erectile dysfunction is among men prescribed these drugs – either for enlarged prostate or male pattern baldness. Some men may not have discussed adverse sexual effects with their doctor and it may not have been documented in the medical records. Overall, the research highlights a known side effect of these dru...
Source: NHS News Feed - Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Medication Lifestyle/exercise Source Type: news