Related Experiment Video

Updated: Oct 23, 2025

Live Imaging and Quantification of Viral Infection in K18 hACE2 Transgenic Mice Using Reporter-Expressing Recombinant SARS-CoV-2
08:41

Live Imaging and Quantification of Viral Infection in K18 hACE2 Transgenic Mice Using Reporter-Expressing Recombinant SARS-CoV-2

Published on: November 5, 2021

3.0K

5α-Reductase Inhibitors Are Associated with Reduced Risk of SARS-CoV-2 Infection: A Matched-Pair, Registry-Based

Madison Lyon1, Jianbo Li2, Jennifer Cullen3

  • 1Department of Urology, Glickman Urological and Kidney Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio.

The Journal of Urology
|August 26, 2021
PubMed
Abstract

Insights

Men using 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors (5ARIs) had a reduced risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection. This study found no association between 5ARI use and COVID-19 disease severity.

Area of Science:

  • Andrology
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) disproportionately affects men, suggesting a role for the androgen pathway.
  • Previous studies on androgen pathway modulators and COVID-19 have yielded mixed results.
  • 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors (5ARIs) have shown potential benefits in men with COVID-19.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess the association between 5-alpha-reductase inhibitor (5ARI) use and the risk of community-acquired SARS-CoV-2 infection in men.
  • To evaluate the impact of 5ARI use on SARS-CoV-2 positivity and disease severity.

Main Methods:

  • A matched cohort study design was employed, including 60,474 males tested for SARS-CoV-2.
  • Men using 5ARIs were matched 1:1 with non-5ARI users.
  • Unconditional multivariable logistic regression was used for validation on the entire unmatched dataset.

Main Results:

  • The absolute risk for SARS-CoV-2 infection was significantly lower in 5ARI users (42.3%) compared to non-users (47.2%) in matched cohorts (OR 0.81, p=0.026).
  • Multivariable logistic regression on the full cohort confirmed a protective association of 5ARI use (OR=0.877, p=0.042).
  • 5ARI use was not associated with increased SARS-CoV-2 disease severity.

Conclusions:

  • 5-alpha-reductase inhibitor (5ARI) use in men without prostate cancer is associated with a reduced risk of acquiring SARS-CoV-2 infection.
  • The findings suggest a potential protective role for 5ARIs against SARS-CoV-2 infection, independent of disease severity.
Keywords:
5-alpha reductase inhibitorsCOVID-19SARS-CoV-2

More Related Videos

Quantitative Structure-Activity Relationship, Activity Prediction, and Molecular Dynamics of Non-nucleotide Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors10:29

Quantitative Structure-Activity Relationship, Activity Prediction, and Molecular Dynamics of Non-nucleotide Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors

Published on: May 9, 2025

1.7K
Retzius-Sparing Robot-Assisted Radical Prostatectomy12:10

Retzius-Sparing Robot-Assisted Radical Prostatectomy

Published on: May 19, 2022

8.2K

Related Concept Videos

Relative Risk01:12

Relative Risk

Relative risk (RR) is a statistical measure commonly used in epidemiology to compare the likelihood of a particular event occurring between two groups. This metric is important for evaluating the relationship between exposure to a specific risk factor and the probability of a particular outcome. It plays a crucial role in medical research, public health studies, and risk assessment. Relative risk quantifies how much more (or less) likely an event is to occur in an exposed group compared to an...
569
Antihypertensive Drugs: Direct Renin Inhibitors01:25

Antihypertensive Drugs: Direct Renin Inhibitors

The renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) is an intricate physiological pathway involving numerous enzymes and hormones, including renin, angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE), angiotensin I and II, and aldosterone. Imbalances within this system increase the production of angiotensin II and aldosterone. Increased angiotensin II levels promote vasoconstriction and blood pressure elevation. Concurrently, higher aldosterone levels stimulate sodium and water reabsorption in the kidneys,...
936
Types of Biopharmaceutical Studies: Controlled and Non-Controlled Approaches01:23

Types of Biopharmaceutical Studies: Controlled and Non-Controlled Approaches

Biopharmaceutical studies constitute a vital field aiming to enhance drug delivery methods and refine therapeutic approaches, drawing upon diverse interdisciplinary knowledge. In research methodologies, the choice between controlled and non-controlled studies significantly influences the study's reliability and accuracy.
Non-controlled studies, commonly employed for initial exploration, lack a control group, rendering them susceptible to biases and external influences. In contrast,...
207
Effect of Hepatic Disease on Pharmacokinetics: Dose Adjustments Due to Hepatic Impairment01:08

Effect of Hepatic Disease on Pharmacokinetics: Dose Adjustments Due to Hepatic Impairment

Hepatic impairment, characterized by decreased liver function, does not uniformly mandate adjustments in drug dosage. Whether dosage modifications are necessary depends on various factors related to the drug's metabolism and elimination pathways. If a drug is primarily excreted via the kidneys and bypasses significant hepatic processing, if it undergoes minimal metabolic transformation in the liver, or if it is volatile and primarily expelled through the lungs, dose adjustments may not be...
37
Retrovirus Life Cycles01:10

Retrovirus Life Cycles

Retroviruses have a single-stranded RNA genome that undergoes a special form of replication. Once the retrovirus has entered the host cell, an enzyme called reverse transcriptase synthesizes double-stranded DNA from the retroviral RNA genome. This DNA copy of the genome is then integrated into the host’s genome inside the nucleus via an enzyme called integrase. Consequently, the retroviral genome is transcribed into RNA whenever the host’s genome is transcribed, allowing the...
47.7K
Treatment for Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension: Phosphodiesterase Inhibitors01:28

Treatment for Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension: Phosphodiesterase Inhibitors

Phosphodiesterase 5 (PDE5) inhibitors are potent enzymes that function to hydrolyze cyclic nucleotides to their corresponding 5' monophosphates. Their unique biochemical properties have been applied in treating Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (PAH).
Among the PDE5 inhibitors, sildenafil (Revatio) stands out as a competitive and selective inhibitor. It operates by elevating cellular levels of cGMP and augmenting signaling through the cGMP-PKG pathway, promoting vasodilation. Upon oral...
282