Fox News Story

[BP7667]

Foxnews Finally getting in on it…

foxnews.com/health/2012/08/07/hair-loss-drug-may-cause-severe-depression/

[martinM]

Thanks for posting this BP. As well written as this article is, I wonder why these couple of sentences were written like this in this order?

Finasteride is in a class of medications known as 5-alpha reductase inhibitors, which block the production of a certain hormone.

“Certainly, sexual dysfunction is linked with depression,” Irwig said. “But I think there’s something else going on. Finasteride blocks an enzyme in the brain and other organs that control the levels of neuro-active steroids released… It’s been shown that men and women who have depression also have lower blood levels of neuro-active steroids.”

People will remember the first sentence, which is what has been repeated over and over about this drug yet it is wrong. Propecia doesn’t only block production of a certain hormone, it blocks production of an enzyme that is responsible for numerous downstream processes including creation of the hormone in question (DHT). Blocking DHT is just a side effect of blocking 5AR enzymes. Talking about it as it is, instead of this simpler misconception, changes the false perception that finasteride" fixes a problem" (MPB), to a more realistic conception of the drug, that it’s blocking a whole host of normal body processes to get the one highly desired side-effect.

In a statement to FoxNews.com, a Merck spokesperson disputed the study’s claims, saying: “Merck believes that PROPECIA (finasteride) has demonstrated safety and efficacy profiles and that the product labeling appropriately describes the benefits and risks of the drug to help inform prescribing [depression is listed as a potential risk on the label].

Is it just me, or does this statement not dispute the claims? It seems that it does exactly the opposite and avoids disputing the factual claims of Irwig’s study.

[deluxxxxxx]

With the declaration of Merck are finished in a court.

Merck can not demonstrate a safe of propecia.

[BP7667]

I am especially happy with this quote from Dr. Irwig:

“After all --how many deaths from a medication do you really need to be considered important enough and to change [warning] labels?” he added. “Medications have been pulled from the market in the past even after just a few patient deaths.”

[Second_Amendment]

MSLSD did one msnbc.msn.com/id/48549905/ns/health-mens_health/#.UCGkRURpFe4