The efficacy and safety of dutasteride compared with finasteride in treating men with androgenetic alopecia: a systematic review and meta-analysis

• Published in: Clinical interventions in aging Vol. 14; pp. 399 - 406
• Main Authors: Zhou, Zhongbao, Song, Shiqiang, Gao, Zhenli, Wu, Jitao, Ma, Jiajia, Cui, Yuanshan
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New Zealand Dove Medical Press Limited 01.01.2019; Taylor & Francis Ltd; Dove Medical Press
• Subjects: 5-alpha Reductase Inhibitors - administration & dosage; Adult; Alopecia; Alopecia - drug therapy; Androgenetic alopecia; Baldness; Comparative analysis; Demographic aspects; Drug therapy; Dutasteride; Dutasteride - administration & dosage; Erectile dysfunction; Evidence-based medicine; Finasteride; Finasteride - administration & dosage; Genetic aspects; Hair loss; Health aspects; Humans; Male; Men; Mens health; Meta-analysis; Middle Aged; Prostate; Randomized controlled trials; Review; Safety; Systematic review; Treatment Outcome; Young Adult; China; Singapore; dutasteride; meta-analysis; randomized controlled trials; finasteride; androgenetic alopecia
• ISSN: 1178-1998; 1176-9092; 1178-1998
• DOI: 10.2147/CIA.S192435

We performed a meta-analysis to evaluate the efficacy and safety of dutasteride and finasteride in treating men with androgenetic alopecia (AGA) during a 24-week treatment cycle. Randomized controlled trials of dutasteride and finasteride for treating AGA were searched using MEDLINE, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Controlled Trials Register. The data were calculated using Rev Man v5.3.0. The reference lists of retrieved studies were also investigated. Three articles including 576 participants which compared dutasteride with finasteride were selected for our analysis. The mean change in total hair count (mean difference [MD], 28.57; 95% CI, 18.75-38.39; <0.00001), investigator's assessment of global photographs for the vertex (MD, 0.68; 95% CI, 0.13-1.23; =0.02) and frontal (MD, 0.63; 95% CI, 0.13-1.13; =0.01) views, panel global photographic assessment for the vertex (MD, 0.17; 95% CI, 0.09-0.24; <0.00001) and frontal (MD, 0.25; 95% CI, 0.18-0.31; <0.00001) views, and subjects' assessment (MD, 0.56; 95% CI, 0.18-0.94; =0.003) suggested that dutasteride provided a better efficacy in treating men with AGA compared with finasteride. With regard to the assessment of safety, altered libido ( =0.54), erectile dysfunction ( =0.07), and ejaculation disorders ( =0.58), dutasteride did not show a significant difference compared with finasteride. Dutasteride seems to provide a better efficacy compared with finasteride in treating AGA. The two drugs appear to show similar rates of adverse reactions, especially in sexual dysfunction.