Finasteride, a medication already used for enlarged prostates and hair loss, may also lower the risk of heart disease. The medication was shown to enhance health and lower cholesterol in a study of data from male mice and people.
It is commonly recognized that having too much cholesterol raises the risk of heart disease because it promotes atherosclerosis, a condition in which fatty deposits build up in blood vessels and obstruct blood flow through the arteries. That may eventually result in heart attacks or strokes.
The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and the University of Maryland research team were interested in examining the potential link between finasteride and heart disease because the medication functions by blocking a protein that triggers the hormone testosterone, and there has been some previous suggestion that testosterone and atherosclerosis are linked.
The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey database, compiled between 2009 and 2016, contained the records utilized in the study. With a focus on 155 male people 50 or older, the researchers discovered a connection between finasteride use and cholesterol levels. Given the limited sample size and the lack of information in the records on the duration of each patient’s medication use, the findings offer a tenuous but fascinating hint of finasteride’s possible cardiac advantages.
Further extensive testing was conducted by the researchers with mice that were genetically modified to have an increased risk of atherosclerosis. Three different dosages of finasteride were tested, and a control group did not get the medication. Over a 12-week period, the mice were also provided a high-calorie diet.
It’s crucial to remember that the mice received larger dosages of finasteride (about 2.5 mg per day for the largest dose) compared to the 1 to 5 milligram doses that are typically prescribed for people. It is encouraging, nevertheless, since the outcomes held true for both mice and human participants.
Clinical studies or a more thorough examination of cholesterol levels in a wider range of finasteride users are the next steps in the research, but the fact that the medication is currently licensed should hasten the process.