Common hair loss drug used by US President Donald Trump could slash the risk of prostate cancer, 'exciting' study reveals

Scientists discovered men taking finasteride slashed their PSA levels by a third

High levels of PSA are linked with an elevated risk of developing prostate cancer

Finasteride - often sold under the brand 'Propecia' - has been used by Trump

By Stephen Matthews For Mailonline

Published: 10:22 EDT, 13 October 2017 | Updated: 12:33 EDT, 13 October 2017

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More evidence has emerged that taking a common hair loss drug slashes the risk of prostate cancer.

South Korean scientists found men taking 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' - has long been known to lower such levels and also inhibits 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 made the findings. They were tes ting the drug's effects on 1,379 alopecia patients.

Lead researcher Ho Won Kang wanted to determine finasteride's impact on hair regrowth compared to a similar drug called dutasteride.

WHAT IS FINASTERIDE?

Finasteride was originally developed to treat urinary problems in men.

Studies showed the drug made prostate glands smaller by reducing the levels of the hormone dihydrotestosterone in participants.

But during trials scientists found an unexpected side effect - hair growth.

In 1997, the FDA approved the steroid inhibitor as the first ever drug to treat male pattern baldness.

Taken once a day, the drug is mainly sold under the brand name Propecia. Millions of American adults use the pills, which are proven to be 90 per cent eff ective.

It is unsure how many men in the UK use it as it is a prescription-only treatment that isn't available on the NHS.

The drug has come under increasing scrutiny in recent years by regulators in the United States and Canada because of a possible link to mental health issues.

And Western University research of men over the age of 66 published in March provided the first concrete evidence of its risks to depression and self-harm.

Dr Ho, who has just published the findings in the Journal of Urology, noted that it wasn't just hair growth that was improved, a finding backed up by years of research.

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.

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 h is 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.'

Karen Stalbow, head of policy, knowledge & impact at Prostate Cancer UK said: 'It's been known for some time that 5-alpha-inhibitors like finasteride or dutasteride can affect a man's PSA levels and as a result could affect the reliability of the PSA test.'

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 af ter Iranian scientists found crab shell extract could actually kill prostate cancer cells and halt the march of the disease.

Source: Common hair loss drug used by US President Donald Trump could slash the risk of prostate cancer, 'exciting' study reveals

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