Prostate disease drugs linked to diabetes
The findings are not a 'major concern' but may mean changes to how patients are monitored, UK researchers say
Men prescribed medications such as finasteride and dutasteride for symptoms of prostate disease have been found to have a raised risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
A BMJ study has looked at health records from around 55,000 UK men who had been prescribed 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors over an 11-year period.
A team led by the University of Edinburgh and University College London has found that the drugs are linked to an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes of about one-third.
It follows previous short-term studies that suggest the drugs, which include finasteride and dutasteride, might affect metabolism and could reduce the body’s response to insulin — an early sign of type 2 diabetes.
