Effect of the dual 5alpha-reductase inhibitor, dutasteride, on serum testosterone and body mass index in men with benign prostatic hyperplasia.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the effects of dutasteride on serum testosterone level and body mass index (BMI) in men who received medical therapy for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).


METHODS
In all, 120 patients with BPH were randomized to three treatment groups: tamsulosin 0.2 mg/day (alpha-blocker group), dutasteride 0.5 mg/day (dutasteride group), or tamsulosin 0.2 mg plus dutasteride 0.5 mg/day (combination group) for 1 year. For all patients the BMI and serum testosterone levels were checked at baseline and after 1 year of treatment.


RESULTS
Among the evaluable 107 patients, the dutasteride (33) and combination groups (37) had significantly greater increases in serum testosterone level (16.3% and 15%, respectively) than the alpha-blocker group (37; 0.3%) after 1 year of treatment (both P < 0.001). When analysed by baseline serum testosterone tertile, the increases in serum testosterone level among the dutasteride and combination group were greatest in the lowest tertile. For BMI, the dutasteride and combination group had mean decreases of 0.17 and 0.20 kg/m(2), respectively, at 1 year, whereas the alpha-blocker group had a mean increase of 0.04 kg/m(2). The decreases in BMI for the dutasteride and combination group were statistically significant only in the lowest tertile (P = 0.048 and 0.010, respectively).


CONCLUSIONS
Our results show that dutasteride treatment in men with BPH led to a significant increase in serum testosterone level and a significant decrease in BMI among those with relatively lower baseline serum testosterone levels.
Department of Urology, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seongnam, Korea.
Sung Kyu
SK
Hong
Gyeong Eun
GE
Min
Seung Bum
SB
Ha
Seung Hwan
SH
Doo
Min Yong
MY
Kang
Hong Joo
HJ
Park
Cheol Yong
CY
Yoon
Seong Jin
SJ
Jeong
Seok-Soo
SS
Byun
Sang Eun
SE
Lee
D000317:Adrenergic alpha-Antagonists / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000368:Aged; D001378:Azasteroids / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015992:Body Mass Index; D042944:Cholestenone 5 alpha-Reductase / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D000068538:Dutasteride; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011470:Prostatic Hyperplasia / Q000188:drug therapy*; D013449:Sulfonamides / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000077409:Tamsulosin; D013739:Testosterone / Q000378:metabolism*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000317:Adrenergic alpha-Antagonists; D001378:Azasteroids; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D013449:Sulfonamides; D013739:Testosterone; D042944:Cholestenone 5 alpha-Reductase; D000077409:Tamsulosin; D000068538:Dutasteride