Dutasteride as a Treatment to Support Reduced Drinking: A Randomized Placebo-Controlled Trial.

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Pharmacology
• Addiction Medicine

Background:

• Neuroactive steroids influence alcohol's effects.
• Dutasteride inhibits 5-alpha reductase, impacting neuroactive steroid production.
• Previous trials suggest dutasteride's potential in reducing alcohol consumption in men.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the tolerability and efficacy of dutasteride in reducing alcohol consumption.
• To assess dutasteride's impact on heavy drinking in both men and women.

Main Methods:

• 167 heavy drinkers aiming to reduce consumption were randomized to 12 weeks of placebo or 1 mg dutasteride daily.
• Participants' drinking patterns were monitored throughout the study.

Main Results:

• Dutasteride was well-tolerated by participants.
• Dutasteride significantly reduced heavy drinking days and weekly drinks compared to placebo.
• Men showed a significant reduction in drinking with dutasteride, while women did not, potentially due to a high placebo response.

Conclusions:

• Dutasteride 1 mg daily is effective for reducing heavy drinking in men with alcohol use disorder.
• Findings confirm previous research on dutasteride's efficacy in men.
• Further research may be needed to explore dutasteride's efficacy in women.