New evidence proves finasteride protects your heart and can prolong your life

Haircafe
20 Jun 202426:02

Summary

TLDRThe video script discusses the ongoing debate about the safety and benefits of finasteride, a drug often used for hair loss and prostate enlargement. It counters conspiracy theories and misinformation with evidence from clinical trials and research studies, highlighting the drug's potential cardiovascular benefits. The speaker emphasizes the need for further research and advises against self-medication, urging viewers to consult with healthcare professionals for personalized advice.

Takeaways

  • 🧪 Finasteride and dutasteride, despite being off-patent, have had a significant amount of independent research confirming their safety and efficacy, as well as additional health benefits beyond hair loss and prostate enlargement.
  • 🛡️ Contrary to conspiracy theories, substantial research indicates that 5α-reductase inhibitors, including finasteride and dutasteride, may have positive effects on heart health and could potentially prolong lifespan.
  • 💊 The FDA approval process for drugs like finasteride ensures a robust body of research before approval, but it's important to note that while cardiovascular benefits are promising, they are not yet FDA-approved for heart conditions.
  • ⚠️ The video emphasizes the importance of not self-medicating for serious conditions like heart disease and stresses the need to consult with a healthcare provider before starting any treatment.
  • 🔍 Early studies on finasteride's effects on the heart were primarily concerned with ensuring the drug did not increase heart disease risk in older men with BPH, and these studies generally found no negative cardiac effects.
  • 📉 A controversial study suggested an increased risk of heart failure with dutasteride, but subsequent research, including a large meta-analysis, did not confirm these findings and suggested they might have been a statistical anomaly.
  • 🐁 Animal studies have shown that DHT can exacerbate heart muscle damage, and finasteride can mitigate this effect, suggesting a protective role against heart disease.
  • 🧬 The rationale for using 5α-reductase inhibitors in heart disease prevention is based on the understanding that androgens, particularly DHT, may negatively impact longevity.
  • 🇰🇷 A large-scale study from South Korea indicated that 5α-reductase inhibitors did not increase cardiovascular risk and, in long-term users, showed a significant reduction in cardiovascular disease.
  • 📊 Human studies, including a retrospective analysis of patients with chronic heart failure, suggest that finasteride may reduce heart muscle thickness, indicative of a protective effect against cardiac hypertrophy.
  • 📚 The latest research, combining both mouse studies and human data, indicates that finasteride may improve blood lipid profiles, which could contribute to a lower risk of heart attacks.

Q & A

  • What is the main topic discussed in the video script?

    -The main topic discussed in the video script is the potential heart health benefits of finasteride and dutasteride, which are medications primarily known for treating hair loss and benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).

  • What is the claim made by the 'anti-finasteride mob' mentioned in the script?

    -The 'anti-finasteride mob' claims that initial clinical trials on finasteride are outdated and suggests a conspiracy theory involving big pharmaceutical companies, which the script argues is unfounded given the amount of subsequent research conducted on these drugs.

  • Why do some people oppose the use of finasteride and dutasteride?

    -Some people oppose the use of finasteride and dutasteride due to misinformation and conspiracy theories suggesting that these drugs have hidden negative effects, despite ongoing and substantial research indicating their safety and additional health benefits.

  • What is the role of 5-alpha reductase inhibitors according to the script?

    -According to the script, 5-alpha reductase inhibitors, which include finasteride and dutasteride, are suggested to be beneficial not only for treating hair loss and BPH but also for potentially prolonging lifespan and protecting against heart disease.

  • What does the script say about the relationship between finasteride and cardiovascular benefits?

    -The script indicates that while the data on cardiovascular benefits of finasteride is strong, it is still preliminary and has not been approved by the FDA for heart-related treatments, so it should not replace conventional treatments like statins or blood pressure medications.

  • What is the significance of the study published in 2002 mentioned in the script?

    -The 2002 study is significant because it reviewed the association between ischemic heart disease and the use of finasteride and alpha blockers in men with BPH, concluding that there was no association between these drugs and the risk of heart disease.

  • What was the controversy surrounding the prostate cancer study mentioned in the script?

    -The controversy arose from the study finding an increased incidence of heart failure in the group taking dutasteride, which was barely statistically significant. However, subsequent research and a meta-analysis suggested that the result might have been a statistical fluke and not indicative of an actual increased cardiovascular risk.

  • What does the script suggest about the role of DHT in heart disease?

    -The script suggests that DHT, a hormone derived from testosterone, may worsen ischemic heart disease and heart failure, and that 5-alpha reductase inhibitors could potentially improve heart health by lowering DHT levels.

  • What is the relevance of the mouse studies discussed in the script?

    -The mouse studies are relevant as they provide evidence that DHT may increase heart muscle damage and that finasteride can reduce this damage, suggesting a protective role of finasteride against heart disease.

  • What does the script conclude about the future use of finasteride for heart health?

    -The script concludes that it is likely that further research will continue to confirm the heart health benefits of finasteride, and it may eventually be used clinically for this purpose, in addition to its current uses.

Outlines

00:00

🧪 Finasteride Research and Heart Health Benefits

The paragraph addresses misconceptions about finasteride, a drug often associated with hair loss treatment, and its purported outdated clinical trials. It highlights that extensive research has confirmed the safety and efficacy of finasteride and dutasteride, revealing additional health benefits beyond hair loss and prostate enlargement. The script emphasizes the role of 5-alpha reductase inhibitors as biohacking drugs, countering negative perceptions. It also introduces new research suggesting these drugs' potential in improving heart health, a point of contention in online discussions.

05:01

🔍 Debunking Myths: Finasteride and Heart Disease Studies

This section scrutinizes the anti-finasteride narrative by examining various studies on the drug's impact on heart health. It discusses a 2002 study that found no association between finasteride and heart disease, contrasting with a later study suggesting a potential risk with dutasteride. A 2013 meta-analysis refutes these concerns, concluding no increased cardiovascular risk with dutasteride. The paragraph also touches on the broader implications of 5-alpha reductase inhibitors in heart disease prevention, hinting at their potential benefits in longevity.

10:02

💔 The Impact of DHT on Heart Health and Finasteride's Role

The script delves into the relationship between dihydrotestosterone (DHT) and heart disease, suggesting that DHT may exacerbate conditions like ischemic heart disease and heart failure. It reviews rodent studies indicating that finasteride can mitigate heart muscle damage associated with DHT. The paragraph also addresses the limitations of rodent studies, particularly regarding neurological effects, which are not applicable to humans due to differences in finasteride metabolism.

15:02

📊 Human Studies on Finasteride's Cardiovascular Effects

This section presents human studies that reinforce the potential cardiovascular benefits of finasteride. A Korean study shows no increased cardiovascular risk with 5-alpha inhibitors and suggests a reduced risk with long-term use. Another study indicates that finasteride may decrease cardiac hypertrophy in men with heart failure. The paragraph also discusses a Canadian database study that found the lowest risk of heart failure with 5-alpha inhibitor use compared to other treatments for BPH.

20:03

🐁 New Research: Finasteride's Effects on LDL Cholesterol and Atherosclerosis

The paragraph introduces a new study combining mouse and human research on finasteride's effects on cholesterol levels and atherosclerosis. In mice, high doses of finasteride reduced cholesterol and atherosclerotic lesions. Human data from the U.S. healthcare database showed lower LDL cholesterol levels in men taking finasteride. The study suggests that finasteride may help improve blood lipids, potentially reducing the risk of heart attacks.

25:04

🚀 Conclusion: Finasteride's Promising Heart Health Prospects

The final paragraph synthesizes the research findings, concluding that DHT may worsen heart conditions, and finasteride, by lowering DHT levels, could improve heart health. It posits that finasteride's potential in treating heart disease might be confirmed in future research and could become a clinical treatment. The script ends on a note that those using finasteride for hair loss may inadvertently be benefiting their heart health as well.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Finasteride

Finasteride is a medication that inhibits the conversion of testosterone to dihydrotestosterone (DHT), commonly used to treat male pattern baldness and benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). In the video, it is discussed as a drug with potential heart health benefits beyond its FDA-approved uses, suggesting it may improve cardiovascular outcomes and prolong lifespan.

💡Dutasteride

Dutasteride is another 5-alpha reductase inhibitor like finasteride, used for treating hair loss and BPH. The script mentions ongoing research and past studies on dutasteride's effects on heart health, with some studies suggesting a possible link to heart failure, though later research disputes these findings.

💡5-alpha reductase inhibitors

5-alpha reductase inhibitors are a class of medications that includes both finasteride and dutasteride. They work by inhibiting the enzyme 5-alpha reductase, which converts testosterone to DHT. The video discusses the potential of these inhibitors as 'biohacking drugs' with health benefits beyond hair loss and prostate enlargement.

💡Heart disease

Heart disease is a broad term encompassing various conditions affecting the heart. The script highlights heart disease as a significant health concern and discusses studies suggesting that finasteride and dutasteride may reduce the risk of heart disease, potentially offering protection against this leading cause of death.

💡Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH)

BPH is a condition where the prostate gland becomes enlarged, often affecting older men. The video mentions that finasteride and dutasteride are used to treat BPH and that there has been research into their cardiovascular safety and potential benefits for heart health in this patient population.

💡Cardiovascular safety

Cardiovascular safety refers to the assessment of a drug's potential to cause harm to the heart and blood vessels. The script discusses the cardiovascular safety of 5-alpha reductase inhibitors, with studies suggesting they may not only be safe but also beneficial for heart health.

💡Meta-analysis

A meta-analysis is a statistical technique used to combine and analyze data from multiple studies to identify overall trends and patterns. The video refers to a meta-analysis of studies on dutasteride's effects on the heart, which concluded that there was no increased cardiovascular risk associated with the drug.

💡Dihydrotestosterone (DHT)

DHT is a hormone derived from testosterone and is implicated in various bodily processes, including hair growth and prostate function. The script suggests that DHT may have negative effects on heart health and that reducing DHT levels with finasteride could be beneficial.

💡Ischemic heart disease

Ischemic heart disease, also known as coronary artery disease, occurs when blood flow to the heart is blocked or reduced. The video discusses studies that have investigated the relationship between finasteride use and ischemic heart disease, with results suggesting a protective rather than harmful effect.

💡Cholesterol

Cholesterol is a waxy substance found in the blood and cells. The video mentions a study that found finasteride may help improve blood lipid levels, including lowering LDL ('bad' cholesterol), which is associated with a reduced risk of heart attacks and cardiovascular disease.

💡Atherosclerosis

Atherosclerosis is a form of arteriosclerosis involving the buildup of plaque in the arteries, which can restrict blood flow and lead to heart disease. The script discusses a study involving mice engineered to develop atherosclerosis, where finasteride was found to reduce the size of atherosclerotic lesions.

Highlights

Finasteride and dutasteride have been the subject of ongoing research beyond their initial clinical trials, with studies revealing additional health benefits beyond hair loss and prostate enlargement.

Contrary to conspiracy theories, subsequent research has confirmed the safety and efficacy of finasteride and dutasteride, independently of pharmaceutical company funding.

Finasteride and dutasteride, known as 5α-reductase inhibitors, have been found to potentially prolong lifespan and protect against major killers like heart disease.

The FDA approval process for finasteride and dutasteride ensures the drugs' safety and efficacy for hair loss and prostate health, but they are not yet approved for heart health treatments.

A study published in 2002 found no association between finasteride or alpha blockers and the risk of heart disease in men with BPH.

A controversial study suggested an increased incidence of heart failure in the dutasteride group, but subsequent research and a meta-analysis have not confirmed this risk.

Scientific evidence is mounting that 5α-reductase inhibitors may lower the risk of heart disease, supporting the rationale for their potential use in preventing heart disease.

Studies in rats have shown that DHT worsens heart muscle damage, and finasteride can decrease this damage, suggesting a protective role against heart disease.

A Korean study found that long-term use of 5α-reductase inhibitors in BPH patients was associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease.

A retrospective analysis of patients with chronic heart failure suggested that finasteride may reduce cardiac hypertrophy, indicating potential heart health benefits.

A Canadian database study indicated that the use of 5α-reductase inhibitors did not increase the risk of heart failure and showed a trend towards improvement.

A recent study combining mouse and human data suggests that finasteride may improve blood lipid levels and reduce atherosclerosis, contributing to heart health.

The new study's findings on finasteride's potential to lower LDL cholesterol and reduce atherosclerotic lesions support its heart health benefits.

The overall research suggests that finasteride and dutasteride may not only be neutral but actively beneficial for heart health, challenging misconceptions.

The potential heart health benefits of finasteride indicate that it could eventually be used clinically for this purpose, extending its applications beyond hair loss and prostate health.

The video concludes that the use of finasteride may offer dual benefits of maintaining hair and potentially prolonging life through improved heart health.

Transcripts

play00:00

sup Chums how y'all living hope

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everything is Nova and you're all having

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a preme week so if you've ever

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encountered the anti finasteride mob

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online what they'll often tell you is

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that the initial clinal trials on

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finasteride are outdated they'll say

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that we need new research to uncover the

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hidden big Pharma conspiracy theory that

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MK Bill Gates Anthony fouchy and Jewish

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lizard people from Proxima centuri have

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been hiding from the masses for all

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these years as part of their Sinister

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plot to indoctrinate us with woke

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culture when you look past this smokees

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screen though what you'll often find out

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is that there actually has been a lot of

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subsequent research that has been done

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on finasteride and dutasteride and in

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fact there is a lot of ongoing research

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on these drugs even today as we speak

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both finasteride and dutasteride have

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been off- patent for many years now so

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this follow-up research has been

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conducted independently in academic

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centers and is no longer funded by

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pharmaceutical companies at all not only

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has this research confirmed both the

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safe and efficacy profile of these drugs

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but we've also come to discover that

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both finasteride and dutasteride have a

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long list of other tremendous health

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benefits outside of just stopping hair

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loss or stopping prostate enlargement it

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turns out that five air Inhibitors are

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the ultimate biohacking drugs which

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makes it especially ironic that so many

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biohacker influencers are against them

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five air Inhibitors are not only our

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best defense against the Norwood Reaper

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but they may also be one of the best

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defenses against the Grim Reaper too

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that's right jumes there is strong

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scientific evidence that shows that five

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air Inhibitors can prolong our lifespan

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and protect us against the biggest

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killers of the human organism

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specifically heart disease now this

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isn't the first time I've actually

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covered the subject but I think it is

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time for an update since now there is

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brand new research that further confirms

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that finasteride and dutasteride are

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Frontline Defenders of our heart health

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now I'm not claiming that this research

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on the effects of finasteride and dut in

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the heart health is as solid as the

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research we have on their effects on

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hair loss and prostate health after all

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finasteride is FDA approved for treating

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hair loss just like it is FDA approved

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for shrinking the prostate and men with

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benign prostatic hyperplasia the FDA

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approval process ensures that there is

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both convincing basic research and human

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studies before a drug can actually be

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approved for a specific indication so I

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want to be clear here CH that while the

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data on finasterid cardiovascular

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benefits is strong it is still

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preliminary and faster hasn't been

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approved by the FDA as a heart drug at

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least not yet so it shouldn't be seen as

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a replacement for treatments like

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statins or blood pressure medications I

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just wanted to throw that out there just

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because heart disease is a very serious

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issue we're talking about here Chums and

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you absolutely shouldn't follow advice

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on treating your heart health from some

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YouTuber without at least discussing

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your specific situation with your doctor

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first now I'm not advising anyone that

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they should take finasteride or toas

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ride to prolong their life that is

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unless of course you are Brian Johnson

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however it is still good to know that

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while you are treating your hair loss

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you may be getting benefits to your

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heart health as well speaking of Brian

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Johnson some of this data on finasterid

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cardioprotective benefits I already

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discussed in my Brian Johnson videos

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which I'll link below but some of the

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data I'm about to go over today is brand

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new and it further reinforces previous

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data on finasterid and heart health

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specifically one of my viewers recently

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brought to my attention this new study

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on finasterid and the heart that was

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published just a few months ago it's

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this one right here so we'll get to this

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new study very soon but first let's go

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ahead and take a few minutes to review

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what is actually known about the effects

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of five air Inhibitors on the heart

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since finasterid was first approved in

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1992 for treating benign prosthetic

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hyperplasia also known as BPH there has

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been a bit of a concern about what its

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effects on the heart may be that's

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because men with BPH are in general

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older men who often have heart disease

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or in the early stages of heart disease

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so there are actually a lot of studies

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investigating the effects of finasteride

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and dutasteride on the heart in order to

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make sure that these drugs don't inrease

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the risk of heart trouble but actually

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the Studies have shown the opposite

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result as we'll see so one of the first

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studies was this study here published in

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2002 it's titled quote study the

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association between ischemic heart

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disease and the use of alpha blockers

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and finasteride indicated for the

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treatment of benign prostatic

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hyperplasia unquote the study reviewed

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4,414 men with a history of BPH and in

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that group The investigators identified

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220 cases of men who had episodes of

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what's called es schic heart disease

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the drugs they looked at were

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finasteride and Alpha blocking drugs

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which would be a drug like tamsulosin

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tamsulosin despite also being used for

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an large prostate is not at all related

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to five a Inhibitors and it works

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through a completely different mechanism

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so the investigators concluded in the

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study that there was no association

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between finasteride or Alpha blocking

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drugs and the risk of heart disease in

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other words these drugs for treating BPH

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seem to be perfectly safe for the heart

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however another study specifically this

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one here came to different conclusions

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and of course this is the one study that

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all the antiph finasteride fearmongering

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people online love to quote constantly

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even though recent data calls its

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findings into question as you can see

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this wasn't primarily a study of heart

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disease it was a randomized control

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doubleblind study of

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6,729 men who were over 50 years old and

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who were given either dutasteride at 0.5

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MGS per day or Placebo the study show

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that dutasteride just like finasteride

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and other studies decreased the overall

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risk risk of getting prostate cancer

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however what we're more interested here

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is the effects of dutasteride on the

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heart the study found that there was an

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increased incidence of heart failure in

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the dutasteride group heart failure

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isn't the same thing as es schic heart

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disease it is a weakening of the heart

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muscle that causes the heart to enlarge

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it can have many different causes

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sometimes it is caused by heart attacks

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but it can also be caused by high blood

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pressure diabetes viruses or could just

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sometimes happen spontaneously even

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anyways the study found that 30 men in

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the dutasteride group developed heart

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failure versus 16 men in the placebo

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group this was an incidence of heart

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failure of 0.7% with dutasteride versus

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0.4% with Placebo although the absolute

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difference was Tiny the difference was

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just barely statistically significant

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with a P value of

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0.03 normally A P value less than 0.05

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is considered a statistically

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significant result in a study the study

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found no increased risk of esic heart

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disease with dutasteride nor did it find

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an increased risk of death from heart

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disease with dutasteride but this study

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raised the question as to whether

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dutasteride could have a negative impact

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on the function of the heart however

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there were other studies that had

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already been done on dutasteride and

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those studies had not shown any

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increased cardiovascular risk so in

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order to put this data into perspective

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this study was published in 2013 3 years

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after the prostate cancer study had been

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published the study was a metaanalysis

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of all the previous studies looking at

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dutasteride effects on the heart and its

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specific goal was to determine if the

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increased heart failure found in the

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prostate cancer study we just went over

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was something we should be worried about

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or if the result was just a statistical

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fluke that just happened by chance so

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this was a huge meta analysis that

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included 12 randomized controlled

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studies of dutasteride with a grand

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total of

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heart disease specifically it found no

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association with myocardial infarction

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which means having a heart attack it

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turns out that even in the prostate

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cancer study when the data was

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reanalyzed by the FDA it was found that

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some of the subjects had actually been

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misclassified as having heart failure

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when they really didn't and after this

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reanalysis the difference between the

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two groups was no longer considered to

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be statistically significant so the

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metaanalysis concluded that quote based

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on the results of this metaanalysis

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there is no confirmatory evidence at

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present to suggest that dutasteride

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confers an increased cardiovascular risk

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compared with controls unquote so

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despite this large meta analysis DHT

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simps still quote the prostate cancer

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study as being proof that dutasteride

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causes heart problems and if dutasteride

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causes heart problems then that must

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mean finasteride does too right but as

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we'll soon see the more we learn about

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five a Inhibitors the more it looks like

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that they aren't just neutral with

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respect to the heart on the contrary the

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evidence shows that they are beneficial

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IAL for the heart there is mounting

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scientific evidence that they lower the

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risk of heart disease and that's why

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more and more researchers are starting

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to look into the use of five a

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Inhibitors in preventing heart disease

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the rationale behind using five a

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Inhibitors to prevent heart disease and

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prolonged life is the fact that in the

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long run androgens and especially the

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trash hormone DHT are bad for your

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longevity in my Brian Johnson videos I

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talk about the fact that in every

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country on Earth women have a greater

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life expectancy than men do one of the

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theories why men have shorter lives than

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women do is that androgens actually

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decrease our lifespans now of course we

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can't actually eliminate testosterone

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without changing from men into trans

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women but we do have the capacity to

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safely diminish the amount of DHT in our

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bodies if lowering DHD had a beneficial

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effect on heart disease that would make

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a big difference in mortality rates in

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men especially since heart disease is

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the number one cause of death on the

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planet by far since DHT is a trash

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hormone that doesn't have benefits in

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adulthood that means we can suppress the

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detrimental effects of androgens without

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lowering our testosterone levels and

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save our hair and prostates at the same

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time so it is a win-win situation for us

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here chims so like I said some of the

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data is theoretical and some of it is

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based on rodent studies but the data is

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nevertheless very promising I have to

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admit for example in this study right

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here rats were given heart attacks by

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temporarily tying off one of their

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coronary arteries in the study the

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amount of injury to the heart was

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measured after after giving testosterone

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or DHT the investigators also tested the

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combination of testosterone with an

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aromatase inhibitor and with finasteride

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what was found was that when

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testosterone was given during the heart

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attack after 3 days of pre-treatment

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with an aromatase inhibitor the amount

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of heart injury increased however when

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testosterone was given after

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pre-treatment with finasteride the

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amount of injury decreased markedly you

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could see that in this figure right here

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the First Column is testosterone alone

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the second is testosterone plus the

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aromatase inhibitor which is four

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hydroxy anderin diione that is

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abbreviated 4 h n the third column is

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testosterone plus finasteride so even

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though testosterone alone did not affect

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the amount of heart muscle damage DHT

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alone did increase the amount of damage

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and finasteride decreased the damage as

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you can see in this figure here so the

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authors concluded that quote our results

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strongly suggested that

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dihydrotestosterone or a mechanism

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related to its enzymatic synthesis was

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responsible for the D serious effect

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increased myocardial damage from

play11:31

testosterone supplementation unquote

play11:34

they also concluded that quote DHT

play11:36

Administration clearly induced a

play11:38

significant larger damage induced by

play11:40

eskema and reperfusion furthermore when

play11:42

the 5A reduct days when was inhibited

play11:45

the miocardial protective effects of

play11:47

testosterone became unmasked unquote so

play11:50

far so good but I know what some of you

play11:51

guys are thinking right now but Kevin

play11:53

you always criticize anti finasteride

play11:55

people for using rodent studies so why

play11:57

are you using them now you're such a

play11:59

hypocrite bro well let me try to clarify

play12:02

my position on this one shums I don't

play12:04

think that rodent studies are 100%

play12:06

completely useless the problem though is

play12:09

that anti-f finasterid people like to

play12:11

dishonestly portray them as being strong

play12:13

evidence to support their claims about

play12:14

fides alleged dangers when they're not

play12:17

and they never disclose the limitation

play12:19

of these studies furthermore antiph

play12:21

finasterid people will often use rodent

play12:23

studies to make strong claims about the

play12:26

asteroid's neurological side effects

play12:28

which is extremely leading since we

play12:30

already know that rodent brains they

play12:32

metabolize finasteride differently from

play12:34

human brains specifically finasteride is

play12:36

a strong Blocker of the type 1 5 a

play12:38

isoenzyme and rodents which is the

play12:40

isoenzyme present in the brain and which

play12:43

specifically is involved in the

play12:44

neurosteroid Alo pregnanolone in the

play12:46

brain however in humans finasterid is an

play12:49

extremely weak type 1 5or isoenzyme

play12:52

blocker so this is an interspecies

play12:55

difference that is critical and it

play12:56

renders studies on the effects of

play12:58

finasteride on rodent Behavior

play13:00

completely inapplicable to human

play13:02

behavior so rodent studies already have

play13:04

limitations as it is but when it comes

play13:06

to subjects like neurosteroids and

play13:07

finasteride rodent studies are

play13:09

completely [ __ ] useless and the fact

play13:12

that post finasteride syndrome

play13:13

conspiracy theorists treat these rodent

play13:15

studies as being strong evidence is very

play13:17

misleading to say the least when it

play13:19

comes to cardiovascular disease though

play13:21

rodent studies are much more applicable

play13:23

to humans because in these studies we

play13:25

aren't looking at neurosteroids we're

play13:27

looking at the effects of DHT itself

play13:29

which we know both finasteride and

play13:31

dutasteride reduce in both humans and

play13:33

rodents so like I said this study showed

play13:36

a delerious effect of specifically DHT

play13:39

on heart muscle damage that was reversed

play13:41

by the use of finasteride unlike many

play13:43

Mouse studies the investigators didn't

play13:45

use a super high dose of finasteride

play13:47

like what happens in most finasteride

play13:48

rodent studies they only used a

play13:50

finasteride dose of about 0.1 Mig per

play13:53

kilogram a day for 3 days that would be

play13:55

a weight based dose of 7 milligram per

play13:57

day in an average 7 kg man which is

play14:00

about the same as a dose used in Men to

play14:01

treat an enlarg prostate specifically 5

play14:04

migs per day this is really a pretty low

play14:06

dose but still the effect on decreasing

play14:08

the size of the heart damage was very

play14:10

impressive not only that the same group

play14:13

of investigators did a similar study

play14:15

looking at whether giving finasteride or

play14:16

an aromatase inhibitor after a heart

play14:18

attack reduce heart muscle damage it's

play14:21

this article here in the article

play14:23

castrated rats had a heart attack

play14:25

induced by tying off one of their

play14:26

coronary arteries like what was done in

play14:28

the prior study this time the rats were

play14:30

given testosterone Plus either an

play14:32

aromatase inhibitor or finasteride for

play14:34

30 days after that the amount of heart

play14:36

muscle damage was assessed this time the

play14:39

investigators used an even lower dose of

play14:41

finasteride they used just 1.8

play14:44

micrograms per kilogram given as a

play14:46

subcutaneous injection once every 3 days

play14:49

that works out to be an equivalent of

play14:51

just 0.13 mg every 3 days in a man

play14:54

weighing 70 kg despite this very very

play14:57

low dose the study had the same results

play15:00

as you can see adding finasteride

play15:02

reduced the amount of heart muscle

play15:03

damage while adding the aromatase

play15:05

inhibitor

play15:06

4A increase the damage the authors also

play15:09

looked at inflammatory markers in the

play15:11

amount of inflammatory cells in the

play15:13

heart attack Zone and again they found a

play15:15

beneficial effect of finasteride the

play15:17

authors concluded that quote these

play15:19

observations suggest that DHT is

play15:21

responsible for the detrimental effects

play15:23

on cardiac function and morphology

play15:26

induced by testosterone unquote so these

play15:29

studies on

play15:59

the heart muscle of the hearts with

play16:00

hypertrophy and that finasteride

play16:02

decreased these DHT levels which is what

play16:04

you'd expect of course but most

play16:06

importantly finasteride inhibited the

play16:08

development of cardiac hypertrophy in

play16:10

the mice who had their aorta surgically

play16:12

constricted so once again the authors of

play16:15

the study concluded that it was DHT

play16:16

causing these heart problems they wrote

play16:18

quote these results imply an important

play16:21

role of myocardial androgens more

play16:23

specifically DHT for the induction of

play16:26

adverse myocardial remodeling the this

play16:29

is supported by the data from Human

play16:30

weightlifters with anabolic androgenic

play16:32

steroid use who are shown to develop

play16:34

cardiac hypertrophy and systolic and

play16:37

diastolic dysfunction unquote the

play16:39

investigators felt that finasterid was

play16:41

so beneficial in preventing cardiac

play16:43

hypertrophy and heart failure that it

play16:45

should be considered as a clinical

play16:46

treatment they said quote because

play16:48

finasteride was so effective in reducing

play16:51

cardiac hypertrophy and failure in mice

play16:53

and because of its clinical availability

play16:55

we suggest that it should be evaluated

play16:57

as a treatment option in heart failure

play16:59

unquote so actually there are a number

play17:02

of rodent Studies by different

play17:03

investigators confirming these findings

play17:05

and I'll link them below but what about

play17:07

human studies well we have this article

play17:09

from good Korea right here titled quote

play17:12

cardiovascular safety and possible

play17:14

benefit of five Alpha reductase

play17:16

inhibitor among benign prostatic

play17:18

hyperplasia patients a nationally

play17:20

representative cohort of Korean men

play17:22

unquote the study was based on a patient

play17:24

database used in good Korea called the

play17:26

Korean national health insurance service

play17:29

Health screeing cohort since everyone

play17:31

has health insurance automatically in

play17:32

good Korea and has free health exams

play17:34

every other year this is a very complete

play17:37

database so from this database

play17:40

29,7 192 men were studied including

play17:44

41,9 7 with a diagnosis of BPH so the

play17:48

main finding of the study was that use

play17:50

of any 5air inhibitor whether it was

play17:52

finasterid or dutasteride did not

play17:54

increase the risk of cardiovascular

play17:56

disease specifically heart attacks or

play17:58

stroke how however in the group of BPH

play18:00

patients who were on a 5 a inhibitor for

play18:02

the longest period of time and who had

play18:04

the greatest cumulative dose of the drug

play18:06

there was a significant reduction in the

play18:08

risk of cardiovascular disease so that's

play18:11

not the end of the human data on

play18:12

finasterid in the heart we also have

play18:14

this study here titled quote

play18:16

anti-androgenic therapy with finasteride

play18:18

and patients with chronic heart failure

play18:20

a retrospective propensity score-based

play18:21

analysis unquote this study was a

play18:24

retrospective review of 1,41 cases of

play18:27

men with heart failure who were on

play18:29

either finasteride or an alpha blocker

play18:31

drug like tamsulosin the subjects were

play18:33

matched to similar patients not on these

play18:35

drugs the bottom line of this study was

play18:37

that on echocardiogram measurements the

play18:40

thickness of the heart muscle was

play18:41

reduced in the patients on finasteride

play18:43

versus those who were not on the drug of

play18:45

course this is just a correlation and it

play18:48

doesn't exactly prove that finasteride

play18:50

caused this difference but it does still

play18:51

nevertheless fit in with the other

play18:53

research that shows that finasteride

play18:55

does decrease cardiac hypertrophy now

play18:57

this background in information would not

play18:59

be complete without at least mentioning

play19:01

another study that the anti- finasterid

play19:03

crowd likes to pull out of their hats

play19:05

it's this study right here this is

play19:07

another database study this time from

play19:09

Canada it looked at 175,176

play19:29

the study found that any drug treatment

play19:31

increased the risk of getting heart

play19:32

failure compared to men not on any drug

play19:34

for BPH however the increased risk was

play19:37

lowest if you were taking a 5 a

play19:39

inhibitor alone and it was highest if

play19:41

you were taking an alpha blocker alone

play19:43

you could see all this from this table

play19:45

right here if you added a 5 a inhibitor

play19:47

to an alpha blocker it actually lower

play19:49

the risk of getting heart failure

play19:51

compared to if you were just taking an

play19:52

alpha blocker alone so the slight

play19:55

difference in Risk between the group of

play19:56

men taking five air blockers alone and

play19:58

the men on no medication could be

play20:00

ascribed to the men on no medication

play20:02

just being a healthier group of men in

play20:04

general However the fact that adding a 5

play20:07

a inhibitor to an alpha blocker actually

play20:09

lowered the risk of developing heart

play20:11

failure that in my opinion is the real

play20:13

important takeaway from this study if

play20:15

five A inhibiting drugs make heart

play20:17

failure worse the results of adding a

play20:19

five a inhibitor to another drug that we

play20:21

know causes heart failure should make

play20:23

this combination worse not better so I

play20:26

don't think the study in any way

play20:28

invalidates the data we already have

play20:29

gone over about the benefits of five air

play20:31

inhibitors for preventing heart failure

play20:33

however this study isn't the final word

play20:35

on the effects of five a blockers on the

play20:37

incidence of heart disease in humans we

play20:39

also have this study from just last year

play20:42

this one's also from Canada the study

play20:44

also used a Canadian database and it

play20:46

identified over 94,000 subjects with BPH

play20:49

subjects on five air Inhibitors were

play20:51

compared with those on no medications

play20:53

the bottom line of this study was that

play20:55

quote the use of five a Inhibitors was

play20:57

not associated with with an increased

play20:59

risk of hospitalization for heart

play21:00

failure myocardial inunction stroke or

play21:03

cardiovascular death compared with

play21:04

nonuse unquote in fact looking at the

play21:07

raw data here there appears to be trends

play21:09

for improvement in all these heart

play21:11

parameters so finally let's get to the

play21:13

new study on this topic that was just

play21:15

published last March it's this study

play21:17

right here like I already mentioned this

play21:19

is a mouse study and a human study the

play21:22

mice used in the study were mice that

play21:24

have been genetically engineered to

play21:25

knock out their receptors for LDL

play21:27

cholesterol this type of Mouse is widely

play21:29

used to study atherosclerosis because

play21:31

these mice develop atherosclerosis even

play21:34

when given a normal Mouse diet and they

play21:36

develop severe atherosclerosis when

play21:38

they're fed on a typical Western diet so

play21:40

these mice were fed a western diet for

play21:42

12 weeks at the same time some of these

play21:44

mice were given finasteride and the

play21:46

doses used here were not small at all

play21:48

Chums the doses of finasteride used in

play21:51

the mice range from 10 Mig per kilog of

play21:54

diet per day up to 1,000 mg per kg of

play21:57

diet per day that's kind of a weird way

play22:00

to calculate a dose but it worked out to

play22:02

each Mouse getting about 2.5 Mig of

play22:04

finasteride per day since the average

play22:07

Mouse weighs about 25 G that's a

play22:09

weight-based dose of about 100 milligram

play22:12

per kilogram per day that's still much

play22:14

higher than human dose though anyways

play22:16

after 12 weeks the poor mice were sadly

play22:19

sacrificed in the name of Science and

play22:21

their blood vessels were examined for

play22:22

atherosclerosis also a lot of other

play22:25

blood tests were done on these mice so

play22:27

what were the results of all these tests

play22:29

well first of all finasteride did lower

play22:31

total cholesterol levels though only at

play22:33

the super high dose of 1,000 Mig per

play22:36

kilogram there was no effect on the

play22:38

so-called HDL good cholesterol though

play22:40

the high dose also did lower serum

play22:42

triglyceride levels faside at the

play22:45

highest dose also decreased the size of

play22:47

the atherosclerotic lesions in the blood

play22:49

vessels it also reduced inflammatory

play22:51

cells in the lesions finally it also

play22:53

reduced total fat levels in the liver so

play22:56

along with this mouse study the authors

play22:57

did a huge study where they examined men

play22:59

enrolled in What's called the N haes

play23:01

database which is a healthcare database

play23:04

that is located and used in the United

play23:05

States the investigators ended up with

play23:08

4,791 men in this part of the study from

play23:12

these subjects there were

play23:14

4,636 subjects who are at least 50 years

play23:16

old and who had not taken finasteride

play23:18

versus 155 subjects who had taken

play23:21

finasteride as you can see the total

play23:23

cholesterol levels in men taking

play23:25

finasteride were consistently lower than

play23:27

men who weren't taking finasteride so

play23:30

LDL which is considered the bad

play23:32

cholesterol was also lower in men taking

play23:34

finasteride HDL which is consider the

play23:36

so-called good cholesterol was not at

play23:38

all affected by finasteride so what do

play23:40

we make of this study well the authors

play23:43

note that given the high dose of

play23:44

finasteride used in the mouse study it

play23:46

might be necessary to give a high dose

play23:47

of finasteride in humans in order to get

play23:49

the same effects on lipid levels and

play23:51

atherosclerosis so the researchers

play23:53

hypothesize that 5 migs of finasteride

play23:56

per day might be enough in humans to

play23:58

affect lipid levels but that probably 1

play24:00

mgram per day might not be enough I

play24:02

think that the dose used in the mouse

play24:04

study is so much higher than any human

play24:06

dose that it is difficult to extrapolate

play24:08

the mouse data to human data but maybe

play24:10

there are some species differences and

play24:12

it may take a lot less finasteride to

play24:14

have a beneficial effect on blood lipids

play24:16

than it does in rodents we already saw

play24:18

data where even doses of finasteride

play24:19

used in rodents were a lot less than

play24:21

those in humans and it still had

play24:23

beneficial heart effects of course the

play24:25

study didn't show that these subjects

play24:27

with lower LDL cholester levels had a

play24:29

lower risk of heart attacks but we do

play24:30

know from many studies that the amount

play24:32

of coronary artery blockage directly

play24:34

correlates with LDL levels we also know

play24:37

that actively lowering LDL cholesterol

play24:39

levels with different drugs lowers the

play24:41

risk of cardiovascular disease so I know

play24:43

a lot of cholesterol deniers claim that

play24:45

high LDL cholesterol doesn't cause heart

play24:47

disease and some of them even go so far

play24:49

as to say it's good for your heart but

play24:50

I'm sorry you guys are just flat out

play24:52

wrong saying that high LDL levels don't

play24:55

promote heart disease is just as dumb as

play24:56

saying that DHD doesn't cause hair loss

play24:59

but that's a discussion for another day

play25:01

and I will eventually do a complete

play25:02

video explaining why cholesterol deniers

play25:04

are wrong so you can save your

play25:06

objections until I make that video but

play25:08

anyways if you take all the research

play25:10

that we reviewed as a whole today it is

play25:12

pretty convincing that the trash hormone

play25:14

DHT worsens ischemic heart disease and

play25:16

heart failure and that five a blockers

play25:18

can improve the situation by simply

play25:20

lowering DHT levels and based on the new

play25:23

study we just went over finasterid may

play25:25

even help improve blood lipids which

play25:26

would result in a lower risk of heart

play25:28

attacks so I think it is very likely

play25:31

that further research will further

play25:32

confirm the heart health benefits of

play25:34

finasteride and it will eventually be

play25:36

clinically used for this purpose so if

play25:38

you're on finast right now as you should

play25:40

be you're already one step ahead of the

play25:42

game which means that not only do you

play25:44

get to keep your hair but you'll get to

play25:45

live longer to enjoy it and that's a

play25:47

pretty good deal if you ask me all right

play25:49

Junes for those who are watching and who

play25:51

are part of the dride master race fear

play25:54

not my next video will be for you so

play25:57

thank you all for watching here

play25:58

switchers I'll see you all next time God

play26:00

bless

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