Table 2.
Studies assessing finasteride’s effects on sex hormones
| First Author (Year) | Diagnosis (Total n) | Dose/Duration of Finasteride (n) | Effect on Hormone Levels | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Estradiol (n) | Testosterone (n) | Androstenedione (n) | DHEA-S (n) | |||||
| Fruzzetti (1994) [55] | IH (n=10) | 5mg DAILY (3mo) (n=10) | NC (n=10) | I (total T; NC (free T) (n=10) (p<0.001) | N/A | NC (n=10) | ||
| Moghetti (1994) [29] | IH (n=17) | 5 mg DAILY (6mo) (n=12, finasteride only; n=5, finasteride + OCP) | NC (n=17) | I (total T) (n=12) (p<0.025); NC (free T) (n=5) | N/A | NC (n=17) | ||
| Ciotta (1995) [56] | IH (n=9) | 7.5 mg DAILY (9mo) (n=9) | NC (n=9) | I(total T) (p<0.001); NC (free T) (n=9) | NC(n=9) | NC(n=9) | ||
| Wong (1995) [30] | IH (n=2) PCOS (n=7) | 5 mg DAILY (6mo) (n=9) | N/A | I (total T, 3mo) by 85%(p=0.001); NC (total T, 6mo) (n=9) | N/A | D (3 mo) by 30%; (p=0.008) NC (6 mo) (n= 9) | ||
| Castello (1996) [31] | IH (n=14) | 5 mg DAILY (12mo) (n=14) | N/A | I (total T) (n= 14) (p<0.05) | N/A | N/A | ||
| Tolino (1996) [109] | IH(n=10) PCOS(n=15) | 5 mg DAILY (6mo) (n=25) | N/A | NC (total T) (n=25) | NC(n=25) | NC(n=25) | ||
| Faloia (1998) [63] | IH(n=27) | 5 mg DAILY (6mo) (n= 14 finasteride only; n=13, finasteride + OCP) | N/A | NC (n= 27) | NC (n=27) | N/A | ||
| Sahin (1998) [64] | IH(n=21) | 5 mg DAILY (9mo) (n=21) | N/A | NC (n=21) | N/A | NC (n=21) | ||
| Fruzzetti (1999) [60] | IH (n=16) Hyperandrogenism (n=29) | 5mg DAILY (12mo) (n=14) | N/A | I (total T) (p<0.01); NC (free T) (n=14) | NC (n=14) | NC (n=14) | ||
| Falsetti (1999) [69] | IH (n=23) PCOS (n=32) | 5 mg DAILY (12mo) (n=55) | N/A | I (total T) by 40% in PCOS, 60% in IH (p<0.001) | N/A | N/A | ||
| Bayram (1999) [65] | IH (n=14) PCOS (n=21) | 5 mg DAILY (12mo) (n=35) | I (n=35) (p<0.001 at 12 mo; p<0.005 at 6mo) | NC (n=35) | N/A | D (n=35) (p<0.01) | ||
| Venturoli (1999) [32] | IH (n=15) | 5 mg DAILY (12mo) (n=15) | D (360da) (n=15) (p<0.001) | I (total T p<0.05, free T, p<0.001) (n=15) | N/A | D(n=15) (p<0.01) | ||
| Moghetti (2000) [61] | IH (n=10) | 5 mg DAILY (6mo) (n=10) | N/A | NC (free T)) (n=10) | N/A | NC(n=10) | ||
| Bayhan (2000) [57] | IH (n=30) | 5 mg DAILY (6mo) (n=30) | NC (n=30) | D (total T, free T) (n=30) | N/A | NC (n=30) | ||
| Muderris (2000) [67] | IH (n=35) | 5 mg DAILY (12mo) (n=35) | I(n=35) (p<0.01) | NC(n=35) | N/A | D(n=35) (p<0.01) | ||
| Bayram (2002) [58] | IH (n=56) | 2.5mg (n=29); 5mg (n=27) DAILY (12mo) | NC(2.5mg) (n=29); I(5mg) (n=27) (p<0.02 at 6mo, p<0.0001 at 12 mo) | NC (n=56) | N/A | NC (n=56) | ||
| Lumachi (2003) [96] | IH (n=13) | 5 mg DAILY (12mo) (n=13) | N/A | NC (free T) (n=13) | NC(n=13) | NC(n=13) | ||
| Lakryc (2003) [68] | IH(n=10) PCOS (n=14) | 5 mg DAILY (6mo) (n=12) | N/A | NC (total T) (n=12) | N/A | N/A | ||
| Bayram (2003) [66] | IH (n=29) | 2.5 mg DAILY (12mo) (n=29) | NC (n=29) | NC (n=29) | NC (n=29) | NC (n=29) | ||
| Beigi (2004) [62] | PCOS (n=29) IH (n=11) | 5 mg DAILY (9mo) (n=20) | N/A | I (total T), NC (free T) (n=20) | N/A | NC(n=20) | ||
| Tartagni (2004) [59] | IH(n=22) PCOS (n=17) | 2.5 mg(n=19) DAILY or every 3 days(n=19) (10mo) | NC (n=38) | NC (total T) (n=38) (P<0.001) | NC(n=38) | NC(n=38) | ||
| Systematic Review | IH (Total n=394) PCOS (total n=135) Hyperandrogenism (total n=29) | 2.5mg (n=96) 5mg (n=389) 7.5mg (n=9) | NC (n=162) I (n=97) D(n=15) | NC (free T, n=81; total T n=287) I (n=103) D(n=30) | NC (n=155) | NC (n=301) D (n=94) | ||
1
Abbreviations: n, number of patients, IH, idiopathic hirsutism; I, increase; NC, no change; D, decrease; N/A, not available;mo, months;da, days