New England’s Foremost Authority on Hair Restoration Maintains Safety and Effectiveness of Propecia (Finasteride 1mg) is backed by Proven Scientific Data
CRANSTON, Rhode Island – Dr. Robert Leonard, chief surgeon and founder of Leonard Hair Transplant Associates, says recent anecdotal reports of persistent sexual dysfunction by some men who have used Propecia (finasteride 1mg) to treat hair loss should not define the safety and effectiveness of this treatment. It is the only oral medication approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of hair loss in men.
According to Leonard, there are no evidence-based data substantiating the link between finasteride and persistent sexual side effects after discontinued use of the drug in numerous, double blinded, placebo controlled studies conducted evaluating the use of Propecia 1mg for hair loss.
“Whether prescribing medications like Propecia, or performing hair restoration surgery, the health and well being of my patients is of the utmost concern,” said Leonard, who has more than 25 years of experience in the field of hair restoration. “In my practice, I have treated hundreds of men suffering from hair loss with finasteride 1mg, and my patients have reported virtually no side effects.”
Since receiving FDA approval in 1997, 20.5 million men and 6.7 million patient-years of exposure using Proscar and Propecia respectively are recoded with a low adverse event profile. The International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery, the world’s leading society for hair restoration surgeons with more than 900 members, believes that these are the most current and reliable data available until further studies are conducted.
“Sexual dysfunction is a very complex disorder, and its incidence in the general population is known to be quite high – as high as 49% in midde-aged and older men according to one study published in 2006 in the Archives of Internal Medicine,” Leonard continued. “That being said, we owe it to our patients to address valid concerns in a scientific manner and to clarify any misleading reports so that men can make informed choices regarding the use of this medication.”
The ISHRS has called on the medical communities of dermatologists, hair loss physicians, urologists, endocrinologists, and sexual medicine specialists to join in a forum to share all data and experiences with finasteride in a fact-based manner.
Dr. Leonard is a founding member and former president of ISHRS. For more information on Dr. Leonard and his practice, please visit HairDr.com.