Researchers have discovered that a drug prescribed to combat baldness in men may benefit cardiovascular health and cholesterol.
- Propecia or Proscar, a finasteride-based drug generally prescribed to combat baldness, would also be beneficial for cardiovascular health.
- The cholesterol levels of men taking finasteride were lower than those who did not take it.
- In mice, researchers observed that those taking finasteride had lower cholesterol levels, fewer inflammatory markers in the liver, and slower progression of atherosclerosis.
Propecia or Proscar, this is the name of the finasteride-based drug generally prescribed to combat baldness in men as well as benign prostatic hypertrophy. But according to a new study published in the journal Journal of Lipid Research, this medication could also be beneficial for cardiovascular health and would reduce the cholesterol.
Treatment against baldness: lower cholesterol among users
During their work, researchers from the University of Illinois, in the United States, proceeded in two stages. The first consisted of analyzing data from men who participated in a national survey on health and nutrition between 2009 and 2016. In total, there were 4,800 respondents. 155 of them, all over the age of 50, were taking the drug finasteride.
“Cholesterol level [des hommes prenant du finastéride] was on average 30 points lower than that of men not taking this medication, indicates Jaume Amengual, author of the study, in a communicated. I thought it would be the opposite, so it was very interesting.“
Atherosclerosis: slower progression with finasteride
During the second stage of their study, they carried out experiments on mice. They tested four levels of finasteride – 0, 10, 100 and 1,000 milligrams per kilogram of food – in male mice genetically predisposed to atherosclerosis, cardiovascular disease. For 12 weeks, in addition to the drug, the rodents were given a diet high in fat and cholesterol.
“Mice given a high dose of finasteride showed lower cholesterol levels in plasma as well as arteries, explains Molina Chaves. There were also fewer lipids and inflammatory markers in the liver.“The experiments also showed a slower progression of atherosclerosis in mice that took this drug.
But be careful, additional research is needed to confirm this discovery. Furthermore, the authors point out that like any treatment, finasteride should not be used without medical advice. Especially since it has already been singled out for its harmful side effects. In 2019, the ANSM warned its users of the risk of mood and libido disorders.
