Recent preclinical and clinical findings indicate that 5α-R inhibitors evoke not only beneficial but also adverse effects. Future studies should investigate the biochemical and physiological mechanisms that underlie the persistence of the adverse sexual side effects to determine why a subset of patients is afflicted with such persistence or irreversible adverse effects. Also, a better focus of clinical research is urgently needed to better define those subjects who are likely to be adversely affected by such agents.
Traish AM, Melcangi RC, Bortolato M, Garcia-Segura LM, Zitzmann M, et al. Adverse effects of 5α-reductase inhibitors: What do we know, don’t know, and need to know? Rev Endocr Metab Disord. 2015 Sep;16(3):177-98. doi: 10.1007/s11154-015-9319-y. [PubMed]