Taking a common hair loss drug could also slash the risk of prostate cancer, ‘exciting’ new research has shown.
South Korean scientists discovered men taking the male pattern baldness drug finasteride, used by US President Donald Trump, slashed their PSA levels by a third.
High levels of prostate-specific antigen, PSA, are linked with an elevated risk of developing prostate cancer.
Finasteride – commonly sold under the brand name ‘Propecia’ – works by inhibiting the production of a hormone which can damage hair follicles.
Asda has slashed the price charged by high-street chemists for finasteride, used by US President Donald Trump, by as much as 43 per cent
How was the study carried out?
Chungbuk National University researchers stumbled across the findings. They were testing the drug’s effects on 1,379 alopecia patients.
It offers hope of a potential new treatment, as experts have dubbed the findings ‘extremely exciting’.
Lead researcher Ho Won Kang wanted to determine finasteride’s impact on hair regrowth compared to a similar drug called dutasteride.
Dr Ho, who has just published the findings in the Journal of Urology, noted that it wasn’t just hair growth that was improved.
Speaking about finasteride, he said: ‘Overall, the low-dose treatment reduced PSA levels by 27.8 per cent relative to baseline values.
‘Most patients – 79.3 per cent – showed PSA declines. Marked PSA declines were observed even after short-term treatment lasting three to six months.’
Prostate cancer: The facts
Prostate Cancer is one of the most common cancers affecting men, with over 47,000 diagnosed each year in the UK, and there are around 11,000 deaths from it.
Yet there’s currently no national screening programme. The PSA test is not routinely offered on the NHS, due to debates about its accuracy.
The news has been welcomed by experts – particularly as finasteride is currently at the centre of a price war between chemists and supermarkets in the UK.
In February, Donald Trump’s doctor Harold Bornstein revealed he takes a small dose of finasteride to stimulate hair growth.
Dr Bornstein told the New York Times that he, too, takes the drug, saying it helped him keep his shoulder-length locks.
Dr Jiří Kubeš, medical director at the Proton Therapy Center in Prague, Czech Republic, told MailOnline: ‘It’s an extremely exciting development.’
Is the drug safe?
Finasteride, though, is not without it’s controversies.
Uncommon side effects include low mood, reduced ability to get an erection and even loss of sexual desire.
Other studies have shown how some men experienced a boost in muscle mass and performance, as well as increased libido.
The study comes after Iranian scientists found crab shell extract could actually kill prostate cancer cells and halt the march of the disease.