Since 1992, men suffering from an enlarged prostate have been prescribed a drug that blocks an enzyme that converts testosterone into dihydrotestosterone, or DHT, a hormone that causes prostate growth.

Five years later, the same medication was approved to treat hair loss when scientists discovered that by reducing DHT levels, finasteride also worked to block hair follicle shrinkage and promote hair regrowth.

Now, research is suggesting this wonder drug could offer even more benefits — benefits that could be the key to saving your heart as you age.

New clues found in old data

Clues to finasteride’s heart health benefits first appeared in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey conducted between 2009 and 2016.

Dr. Jaume Amengual, an assistant professor in the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition at the University of Illinois looked back at that data and found that men taking the drug averaged cholesterol levels 30 points lower than men not taking the drug.

However, while that 30-point difference was massive, Dr. Amengual knew he had to dig deeper before they could truly attribute the drop in cholesterol to the drug.

 “This was not a clinical study in which you can control everything perfectly,” admitted Amengual. “It was more of an observation that led us to say, ‘Okay, now we’ve seen this in people. Let’s see what happens in mice.”

The connection stacks up

Mice predisposed to atherosclerosis (a condition where arteries narrow due to plaque buildup) — and who were fed a diet high in cholesterol — were administered varying doses of finasteride to see how it performed, ranging from 0, 10, 100, and 1000 milligrams per kilogram of food.

And sure enough, the results held true.

The researchers found that mice given the highest dose of the drug had:

• Lower cholesterol levels in their blood plasma
• Reduced cholesterol in their arteries
• Fewer lipids and inflammatory markers in their livers

According to these findings, which were published in the Journal of Lipid Research, the medication might offer benefits that go beyond cholesterol-lowering and include the ability to reduce inflammation and even block the formation of plaques in the arteries.

From cholesterol reduction to better heart health

So how in the world does a prostate drug keep cholesterol in check?

Well, the scientists say it’s pretty simple.

As we mentioned earlier, finasteride works by stopping the body from converting testosterone into a derivative of the hormone, called DHT.

While DHT is best known for causing prostate hypertrophy and hair loss, both DHT and testosterone itself can play a role in the development of atherosclerosis.

This means that controlling levels of DHT and other testosterone derivatives could have a positive impact on cholesterol metabolism and could even reduce inflammation, ultimately supporting better heart health.

There’s always a catch

However, don’t run out and ask your doctor for a finasteride prescription just yet since there are some issues to be aware of…

First, in that rodent study, the researchers say that the mice that experienced reductions in cholesterol were given levels of the drugs that would be toxic to humans.

Second, previous studies of finasteride have shown that it has some drawbacks. It’s been linked to an increase in diabetes risk and a common side effect is loss of libido.

Going safer and more natural

A natural option to finasteride just may be beta-sitosterol.

Beta-sitosterol works by inhibiting 5-alpha-reductase activity to block testosterone conversion to DHT the same way that finasteride works.

Yet, it doesn’t have the negative side effects of the drug. And studies have shown that beta-sitosterol promotes prostate health, heart health and discourages hair loss and insulin resistance.

In fact, if you’re looking to support healthy cholesterol levels, plant sterols, like beta-sitosterol, are the way to go…

That’s because plant sterols leverage our internal cholesterol circulation system to dramatically reduce LDL (bad cholesterol) levels.

Of course, many of us have never heard of beta-sitosterol.

But you’ve probably heard of saw palmetto, which many men already use to support prostate health.

Well, here’s the skinny on saw palmetto…

The reason it works is thanks to it beta-sitosterol content!

It’s why saw palmetto has been found to have benefits for the prostate, hair loss and beyond.

Sources:

Common hair loss and prostate drug may also cut heart disease risk in men and mice — ACES News

Old drug, new life: “Magic pill” regrows hair, heals prostate, boosts heart health — earth.com

Finasteride — Drugs.com

Saw Palmetto vs. Finasteride for Hair Loss — hims

Beta-sitosterol: Natural support for the prostate, heart and more — Easy Health Options

Can saw palmetto shrink the prostate? — Easy Health Options

Effect of β-sitosterol on glucose homeostasis by sensitization of insulin resistance via enhanced protein expression of PPRγ and glucose transporter 4 in high fat diet and streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats — Cytotechnology