Five-year efficacy of finasteride in 801 Japanese men with androgenetic alopecia.

Abstract

Finasteride is standard medical treatment for androgenetic alopecia; however, no large studies with 5 years or more of follow up have been performed in Japan. The authors followed Japanese men with androgenetic alopecia treated with finasteride for 5 years to evaluate long-term treatment efficacy. Of 903 men treated with finasteride (1 mg/day), 801 patients were evaluated over 5 years by modified global photographic assessment. Although the proportion of improvement was high (99.4%), modified global photographic assessment scores after 5 years of treatment were lower in patients with more advanced disease as measured by the modified Norwood-Hamilton scale. After separating patients into "sufficient" and "insufficient" efficacy groups according to the modified global photographic assessment score after 5 years (scores ≥6 and <6, respectively), multivariate analysis showed that independent risk factors of insufficient efficacy were age at start of treatment of 40 years or more (P = 0.021) and classification on the modified Norwood-Hamilton scale (P < 0.001), whereas presence of stress at start of treatment was a negative predictor (P = 0.025). In conclusion, continuous finasteride treatment for 5 years improved androgenetic alopecia with sustained effect among Japanese. Younger age and less advanced disease at start of treatment were the key predictors of higher finasteride efficacy.

• Authors: Toshihiro Yoshitake, Akira Takeda, Kensaku Ohki, Yuko Inoue, Takanori Yamawaki, Saori Otsuka, Minekatsu Akimoto, Mitsuru Nemoto, Yasuhito Shimakura, Akio Sato
• Journal: The Journal of dermatology (J Dermatol) Vol. 42 Issue 7 Pg. 735-8 (Jul 2015) ISSN: 1346-8138 [Electronic] England
• PMID: 25903108 (Publication Type: Journal Article)
• Copyright: © 2015 Japanese Dermatological Association.

Chemical References

• 5-alpha Reductase Inhibitors
• Finasteride

Topics

• 5-alpha Reductase Inhibitors (therapeutic use)
• Adult
• Age Factors
• Alopecia (drug therapy)
• Finasteride (therapeutic use)
• Humans
• Japan
• Male
• Middle Aged
• ROC Curve
• Severity of Illness Index
• Stress, Psychological (complications)
• Time Factors