THERAPEUTIC CONSIDERATIONS RELATED TO FINASTERIDE
ADMINISTRATION IN MALE ANDROGENIC ALOPECIA AND
BENIGN PROSTATIC HYPERPLASIA
ION G. MOTOFEI1#*, DAVID L. ROWLAND2#, DANIELA L. BACONI3#, SIMONA R. GEORGESCU4#, STANA PAUNICĂ4#, VLAD D. CONSTANTIN1#, DENISA BĂLĂLĂU1#, IOANA PAUNICĂ1#, CRISTIAN BĂLĂLĂU1#, CĂTĂLIN BASTON1#, IOANEL SINESCU1#
1“Carol Davila” University, Faculty of General Medicine, Bucharest, Romania
2Valparaiso University, Department of Psychology, Valparaiso, Indiana, United States of America
3“Carol Davila” University, Faculty of Pharmacy, Bucharest, Romania
4“Carol Davila” University, Faculty of Dentistry, Bucharest, Romania
*corresponding author: igmotofei@yahoo.com
#All authors have equal contribution.
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Abstract:
Finasteride has been used extensively until now as a relative efficient therapeutic option for male androgenic alopecia and
benign prostatic hyperplasia. Unfortunately, over time several concerns appeared regarding the frequency and magnitude of
adverse effects, which in some cases have been even irreversible. Herein we review the recent literature on this topic, trying
to clarify the current safety profile of Finasteride for these two therapeutic indications. We concluded that Finasteride could
be retained as a therapeutic approach for male androgenic alopecia, based on two important reasons. First, a synergistic
action between a partial inhibitor of 5α-reductase (Finasteride) and another compound (like Minoxidil) are preferable to a
complete suppression of 5α-reductase (see Dutasteride), in order to preserve the important physiological roles of
dihydrotestosterone. Second, Finasteride side effects can currently be addressed in part prior to the onset of the therapy, by
using information about the patient such as hand preference and sexual orientation to predict the risk of adverse effects.

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