Hair loss medication affects men's virility

Scientists warn that hair loss medication can cause erectile dysfunction in men. This condition can even persist after stopping the medication.

A study found that men who used a popular hair-growth drug suffered erectile dysfunction for at least four years during and after taking the drug.

People with this condition cannot maintain an erection, even though they have been given Viagra, the situation has not improved.

According to experts, taking the hair loss drug finasteride poses a much greater risk than diabetes, high blood pressure and smoking.

The drug, sold under the brand name Propecia, reduces prostate-specific antigen levels. Researchers at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine evaluated the effects of the hair-growth drugs finasteride and dutasteride.

“Men taking finasteride or dutasteride may experience long-term erectile dysfunction, lasting months or even years,” said study author Steven Belknap, PhD.

Both drugs interfere with the action of male hormones. Of the 11,090 study participants, 167 (1.4%) had persistent erectile dysfunction, which persisted for an average of 1,348 days after stopping the drugs.

For men under 42 years old, after 7 months of using hair loss medication, the risk of erectile dysfunction increased 4.9 times compared to those who did not use the medication or used it less.

Previously, researchers had not provided any solid evidence that hair loss medications caused sexual problems in men.

According to VNN