Title:Is There an Association between 5a Reductase Inhibitors and Metabolic Syndrome? A Narrative Review of the Literature
Volume: 19
Issue: 4
Author(s): Afroditi Ziogou, Alexios Giannakodimos, Evangelia Mitakidi, Tzelepis Konstantinos and Ilias Giannakodimos*
Affiliation:
- Department of Urology, Laikon General Hospital, Athens, Greece
Keywords:
5a reductase inhibitors, dutasteride, finasteride, benign prostatic hyperplasia, metabolic syndrome, diabetes mellitus.
Abstract: Finasteride and dutasteride are 5a Reductase Inhibitors (5a-RIs) and comprise the mainstay
of treatment for the management of patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia. 5a-RIs are expressed
in a variety of tissues, such as adipose tissues and liver, resulting in a reduction of glucocorticoid
levels and affecting androgen regulation and metabolic function. As a result, the administration
of these regimens may generate adverse metabolic events, such as liver disease, hyperglycemia,
hyperlipidemia, and diabetes mellitus. Although several studies have tried to record these
adverse metabolic events both in human subjects and animal models, the exact mechanisms of these
actions have not been well described yet in the literature. Further well-designed clinical trials
are needed to elucidate the exact role of 5a reductase inhibitors in the progression of the metabolic
syndrome. The aim of this study was to systematically review the literature concerning the role of
dutasteride or finasteride in the progression of metabolic adverse events and further investigate
possible pathophysiologic mechanisms.
