{"publisher":"Finasteride Rx","product":"Finasteride","preparedAt":"2026-11-07","reviewStatus":"Research drafts; medical review has not been claimed","facts":[{"label":"Research finding 1","text":"The Finasteride Male Pattern Hair Loss Study Group reported clinically significant increases in hair count (baseline = 876 hairs), measured in a 1-inch diameter circular area (5.1 cm2) of balding vertex scalp, with finasteride treatment: 107 and 138 hairs vs placebo at 1 and 2 years (P < .001).","href":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9777765/"},{"label":"Research finding 2","text":"The Study Group's 5-year report concluded that long-term treatment with finasteride 1 mg/day was well tolerated, led to durable improvements in scalp hair growth, and slowed the further progression of hair loss that occurred without treatment.","href":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11809594/"},{"label":"Research finding 3","text":"A systematic review and network meta-analysis of placebo-controlled trials concluded that finasteride in men was not statistically different from placebo. It included only trials reporting after 24 weeks, and its abstract discloses that one author was employed by the owner of a product it tested.","href":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36755885/"},{"label":"Research finding 4","text":"A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials of 5α-reductase inhibitors found pooled relative risks for sexual dysfunction of 2.56 (95% CI = 1.48-4.42) in men with an enlarged prostate (BPH) and 1.21 (95% CI = 0.85-1.72) in men with androgenetic alopecia. Its authors concluded the association was not statistically significant in men with androgenetic alopecia.","href":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27475241/"},{"label":"Research finding 5","text":"A meta-analysis of 34 clinical trials of finasteride for androgenic alopecia found that none had adequate safety reporting, 19 were partially adequate, 12 were inadequate, and 3 reported no adverse events. Its authors concluded that the published reports provide insufficient information to establish the safety profile for finasteride in the treatment of androgenetic alopecia.","href":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25830296/"}],"sources":[{"title":"Propecia (finasteride 1 mg) prescribing information","href":"https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?setid=6f904709-65aa-44ce-b144-b4c8a0416e36"},{"title":"Drugs@FDA: Propecia application overview","href":"https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cder/daf/index.cfm?event=overview.process&ApplNo=020788"},{"title":"Finasteride Male Pattern Hair Loss Study Group: two 1-year trials","href":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9777765/"},{"title":"Finasteride Male Pattern Hair Loss Study Group: 5-year experience","href":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11809594/"},{"title":"MedlinePlus Genetics: androgenetic alopecia","href":"https://medlineplus.gov/genetics/condition/androgenetic-alopecia/"}],"guides":[{"title":"Finasteride and fertility: what the label and studies say about semen and sperm","url":"https://finasteriderx.com/research-guides/finasteride-and-fertility","description":"What the Propecia label and three studies report about semen, sperm counts and reversibility, with the dose used in each.","date":"2026-11-10"},{"title":"What the finasteride 1 mg prescribing information says about use in men","url":"https://finasteriderx.com/research-guides/finasteride-label-what-it-says","description":"A plain summary of what the Propecia (finasteride 1 mg) label says about who it is indicated for, how it is taken and who it is not for.","date":"2026-11-10"},{"title":"PSA tests and prostate cancer screening while taking finasteride","url":"https://finasteriderx.com/research-guides/finasteride-psa-and-prostate-screening","description":"What the label and trials report about PSA on finasteride, and what the label and the 5 mg Prostate Cancer Prevention Trial say about prostate cancer.","date":"2026-11-10"},{"title":"What the finasteride trials measured: label studies, long-term data and reviews","url":"https://finasteriderx.com/research-guides/finasteride-trials-what-they-measured","description":"What the label's 12-month studies, long-term data, published trials and reviews measured, plus one 2023 review that reported a different result.","date":"2026-11-10"},{"title":"Who finasteride 1 mg is not for: women, children and pregnancy exposure","url":"https://finasteriderx.com/research-guides/finasteride-women-children-and-pregnancy","description":"What the Propecia label and the FDA say about women, pregnancy, children, handling and semen exposure.","date":"2026-11-10"},{"title":"How finasteride works: the enzyme, DHT and what was measured","url":"https://finasteriderx.com/research-guides/how-finasteride-works","description":"What the Propecia label and a 1999 study abstract say about finasteride, the Type II 5α-reductase enzyme and DHT, with each number tied to its source.","date":"2026-11-10"},{"title":"How long finasteride takes to show results and what sources say about stopping","url":"https://finasteriderx.com/research-guides/how-long-finasteride-takes-and-stopping","description":"What the Propecia label reports about timing, the 12-month and 5-year study measures, and what it says happens after treatment is withdrawn.","date":"2026-11-10"},{"title":"Mood and finasteride: what the sources say about depression and suicidal ideation","url":"https://finasteriderx.com/research-guides/mood-and-finasteride-what-is-known","description":"The label listings, cohort studies, reviews and spontaneous-report analyses on depression and suicidal ideation, and why none show cause and effect.","date":"2026-11-10"},{"title":"Other treatments for male pattern hair loss: what the sources say","url":"https://finasteriderx.com/research-guides/other-hair-loss-treatments-compared","description":"What labels, reviews, trials and a Canadian consensus say about minoxidil, dutasteride, topical finasteride and low-level laser therapy.","date":"2026-11-10"},{"title":"Sexual side effects of finasteride: what the label, trials and databases report","url":"https://finasteriderx.com/research-guides/sexual-side-effects-what-sources-report","description":"What the label, trials, reviews, a claims database and reports say about sexual side effects, with rates, study length and comparison groups.","date":"2026-11-10"},{"title":"What male pattern hair loss is and what drives it","url":"https://finasteriderx.com/research-guides/what-male-pattern-hair-loss-is","description":"What MedlinePlus and review sources say about male pattern hair loss: the usual pattern, androgens and genes, and what else can cause hair loss.","date":"2026-11-10"},{"title":"When hair loss is not pattern loss: other causes and how they are found","url":"https://finasteriderx.com/research-guides/when-hair-loss-is-not-pattern-loss","description":"Other causes of hair loss that MedlinePlus lists, and how review abstracts say clinicians tell them apart from pattern loss.","date":"2026-11-10"}]}