Effect of finasteride on lipid profile in individuals with androgenetic alopecia

Abstract

Atherosclerosis constitutes one of the most frequent diseases and one of the important predisposing factors for atherosclerosis is lipid profile change. Androgen changes lipid profile, mainly high density lipoprotein (HDL), and oral finasteride are used for treating androgenetic hair loss as a risk factor for atherosclerosis. This study was conducted in order to determine the lipid profile changes by 1 mg finasteride tablets daily in patients with androgenetic hair loss. Twenty-five patients with androgenetic hair loss were prescribed one 1 mg finasteride tablet daily. Fasting plasma levels of low density lipoprotein (LDL), HDL, triglyceride, total cholesterol and HDL to LDL ratio of patients before therapy and after 3 and 6 months of therapy were measured. The study was conducted in the form of a beforeafter clinical trial. Data were analyzed using SPSS software version 16. A statistically significant rise in triglyceride plasma level (p=0.014) and significant decreases in HDL plasma level (p<0.001) was observed after 3 and 6 months of therapy, respectively. Plasma levels of LDL, total cholesterol and HDL to LDL ratio were not changed significantly but changes in ratio between third and sixth month were significant. Therefore finasteride may decrease dihydrotestosterone and increase testosterone that could lead to complications of the lipid profile by reducing HDL and increasing total cholesterol.

Oxidised low‐density lipoprotein, a possible distinguishing lipid profile biomolecule between prostate cancer and benign prostatic hyperplasia

“…BPH patients in this study were on finasteride or dutasteride therapy as the normal clinical line of treatment. These have been reported to increase total cholesterol levels with long‐term use but decrease HDL cholesterol (Doulabi, Kavoussi, Isapour, Hashemian, & Taheriniya, ). In a study of 460 men, half were treated with dutasteride (Avodart) and the other with tamsulosin (Flomax).…”

Evaluation of Sex Hormone Levels in Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia Patients Treated with 5 Alpha-Reductase Inhibitor (Finasteride) in Amara city/Iraq

“…The present results indicated that the level of T hormone was significantly associated with BPH disease, as observed from its significant decrease in the pre-treated patients compared to the control. This decrease might be resulted from the enzymatic activity of 5α-reductase (converts T to DHT) which was reported to be about 7-folds higher in cultured BPH compared to normal, and the 17-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase activity (metabolizes T to the inactive ∆4-androstenedione) which was 250-folds more in BPH stromal cells (11,12). In addition, T level was significantly increased in the post-treated patients in comparison with the pre-treated patients after 3 month of finasteride treatment.…”