Prostate medication linked to fewer complications after heart attack
Men are likely to suffer more extensive heart attacks than women. Studies have shown that male sex hormones, such as testosterone, intensify inflammation during an acute heart attack and lead to a larger area of damage. According to a study from the University of Gothenburg, patients treated with medication for benign prostatic hyperplasia at the time of a severe acute heart attack experienced…
Men often experience more severe heart attacks compared to women. An underlying reason is that male sex hormones, such as testosterone, aggravate inflammation during a heart attack and lead to a larger area of damage. A study conducted at the University of Gothenburg suggests that patients who were already undergoing treatment for benign prostatic hyperplasia faced a lower risk of complications following a severe heart attack.
Inflammation plays a significant role in the severity of heart damage when treated with balloon angioplasty, a common procedure to swiftly open blocked blood vessels supplying the heart muscle. The findings, published in JAMA Network Open, indicate that Swedish patients using finasteride for benign prostatic hyperplasia had a 20.8% risk of serious complications, contrasting with a 24.3% risk among similar patients who did not use the drug.
Finasteride is a member of the 5-alpha-reductase inhibitor class, which diminishes the size of an enlarged prostate by blocking an enzyme that transforms testosterone into a more potent form, dihydrotestosterone. Among those taking finasteride, the likelihood of serious complications like cardiac arrest, severe heart rhythm issues, severely impaired left ventricular function, or death within 30 days was 20.8%, compared to 24.3% in the matched control group.
The researchers' hypothesis was supported by these results, but no significant difference was found among patients treated with hormone medications for prostate cancer. Hannah Colldén, a pharmacist and researcher at the University of Gothenburg, explained that this result adds to the growing field of research on the impact of sex hormones on the heart during heart attacks, but it does not directly influence current patient treatment.
The study utilized the SWEDEHEART quality registry and national registers, encompassing all Swedish men who experienced a severe heart attack, specifically an ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), and underwent balloon angioplasty. Patients taking drugs affecting male sex hormones were matched with similar individuals who had heart attacks but did not receive such treatment.
However, the researchers emphasize that the causality and treatment implications of these findings remain uncertain.
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