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Urbana, Illinois — The drug finasteride, also known as Propecia or Proscar, treats male pattern baldness and enlarged prostate in millions of men around the world.But new University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Research suggests that this drug may also offer surprising life-saving benefits in lowering cholesterol and reducing your overall risk of cardiovascular disease.

This research lipid research journalfound a significant correlation between finasteride use and lower cholesterol levels in men who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 2009 to 2016. Researchers found lower total plasma cholesterol, slower progression of atherosclerosis, and reduced inflammation in mice that took high doses of finasteride. Effects on the liver and associated benefits.

“When we looked at men taking finasteride in a study, their cholesterol levels were, on average, 30 points lower than men who weren’t taking finasteride. We expected to see the opposite pattern, so we found that “This was interesting,” said the study’s lead author. james amengualAssistant Professor Faculty of Food Science and Department of Human Nutrition And that Department of Nutritional Scienceboth parts Faculty of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences (ACES) U. of I.

Although the findings were interesting, they also had limitations. Of the approximately 4,800 survey respondents who met general health criteria for inclusion in the analysis, only 155 (all men in their 50s or older) reported use of finasteride. And the researchers couldn’t say how much of the drug the men in their study took, or for how long.

“This wasn’t a clinical study where we had perfect control over everything,” Amengual said. “It was more of an observation that led us to say, ‘Okay, this is what people are seeing now.’ Let’s see what happens in mice.”

But first, why do hair loss and prostate medications affect cholesterol? Researching sclerosis. Scientists have long suspected that the sex hormone testosterone is important in atherosclerosis, as the disease is much more common in men than in premenopausal women, but its role remains unclear. was not clear.

Finasteride works by blocking proteins in the hair follicles and prostate that activate testosterone. The commonality of testosterone was enough to pique Amengual’s interest.

“One day I was reading about this drug and started to realize that there weren’t many long-term studies on the effects of this drug. At first, I thought hormone levels were linked to atherosclerosis, hair loss, and prostate cancer. “It was just my own curiosity based on the fact that it is known to have an impact on the issue,” he said. “So we decided to dig into it.”

After documenting the first-ever association, albeit observational, between finasteride and lower cholesterol in men, Amengual obtained his Ph.D. Donald Molina Chavez Check if the pattern is held on the mouse.

Dr. Molina Chavez tested four levels of finasteride in male mice genetically predisposed to atherosclerosis: 0, 10, 100, and 1000 milligrams per kilogram of food. She gave the mice the drug for 12 weeks along with a high-fat, high-cholesterol “Western-style” diet. After her experiments, Molina Chavez analyzed the mice’s levels of cholesterol and other lipids, along with evidence of atherosclerotic plaques. He also examined gene expression in the liver, examined bile acid metabolism, and analyzed steroids, triglycerides, immune activity, and more.

“Mice given high doses of finasteride had lower cholesterol levels in their plasma and arteries,” Molina Chavez said. “Lipids and inflammatory markers in the liver were also reduced.”

The effect is only significant at the highest doses, levels that Amengal claims are prohibitive for humans, but he explains that mice metabolize finasteride differently than humans.

“This is an incredibly high level of the drug. But we’re using mice as a model, and they’re very resistant to things that would kill us,” he said. Told. “So when you think about it that way, it’s not that crazy.”

Humans take 1 or 5 milligrams of finasteride daily for hair loss and prostate enlargement, respectively. The fact that a clear pattern emerged in the study of men who were likely taking either of these doses suggests that the drug may be lowering cholesterol without the high doses tested in mice. It suggests something.

The next step is for doctors to start tracking finasteride patients’ cholesterol or conduct clinical trials to test its effectiveness. Amengual says it may be especially important to understand how finasteride affects transgender people.

“Over the past decade, doctors have started prescribing this drug for people transitioning from male to female or female to male. In both cases, hormonal changes can cause hair loss,” he says. To tell. “What’s interesting is that transgender people are also at increased risk for cardiovascular disease. Therefore, this drug may have a potential beneficial effect in preventing cardiovascular disease not only in cis men but also in transgender people.” there is.”

Finally, like any drug, Amengual points out that finasteride is not without risks. Consult your doctor for more information.

The study found that “Finasteride slows the progression of atherosclerosis in mice and is associated with reductions in plasma cholesterol in men.” lipid research journal [DOI: 10.1016/j.jlr.2024.100507]. This research was partially supported by: National Heart, Blood, and Lung Institutepart of National Institutes of Health [via grant no. HL147252], and USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture. This content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.