title: Use of finasteride in the treatment of men with androgenetic alopecia (male pattern hair loss).
abstract: Finasteride, a type 2-selective 5alpha-reductase inhibitor, was approved in 1997 as the first oral pharmacologic therapy for the treatment of men with androgenetic alopecia (AGA; male pattern hair loss). Originally developed for the treatment of men with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) at a dose of 5 mg/day, finasteride has a well-established, excellent safety profile. Subsequent studies demonstrated that finasteride was an effective treatment for men with AGA at an optimal dose of 1 mg/day. This report summarizes the published peer-reviewed literature on the use of finasteride in the treatment of men with AGA, including the data on long-term (5 years) use of finasteride in a placebo-controlled clinical trial environment.
authors.affiliation: Division of Dermatology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver General Hospital, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
authors.forename: Jerry
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Shapiro
authors.forename: Keith D
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Kaufman
mesh_terms: D000505:Alopecia / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D000506:Alopecia Areata / Q000188:drug therapy; D042944:Cholestenone 5 alpha-Reductase / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D017326:Clinical Trials, Phase III as Topic; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D018120:Finasteride / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006197:Hair / Q000254:growth & development; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male
chemical_list: D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D018120:Finasteride; D042944:Cholestenone 5 alpha-Reductase