Association between finasteride with subjective memory deficits: a study from the NHANES and FAERS databases

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Pharmacology
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Postmarketing data suggest potential cognitive side effects of finasteride.
• Existing studies on finasteride and memory dysfunction show mixed results.
• Further clinical research is needed to clarify these cognitive effects.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between finasteride and self-reported memory dysfunction.
• To establish an evidence-based framework for finasteride's clinical safety.
• To aid in therapeutic risk-benefit analyses for finasteride.

Main Methods:

• Utilized data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) and FAERS.
• Employed descriptive statistics, multivariable logistic regression, and ROC curve analysis.
• Examined associations between finasteride exposure and cognitive performance metrics.

Main Results:

• NHANES data showed a significant positive correlation between finasteride and memory impairment (aOR=6.15).
• FAERS database reported 526 cases of cognitive dysfunction among 6,624 finasteride-related adverse events.
• Convergent evidence suggests a link between finasteride and memory-related cognitive issues.

Conclusions:

• Epidemiological and pharmacovigilance data suggest a potential finasteride-cognitive dysfunction association.
• Highlights the need for risk communication regarding neurocognitive effects.
• Recommends routine cognitive monitoring for patients on long-term finasteride therapy.