In the News – Weighing Benefits and Side Effects of Medication

Snippet from the article:

It’s getting harder for me to deny that I’ve reached middle age, and the most obvious sign is that the men in my life are losing their hair. Many men struggle to come to terms with hair loss and yearn for a way to turn back the clock. Although I’m no expert on the subject, I’ve suggested they look into Propecia, a medication used to treat male pattern hair loss.

Invariably, they’re intrigued. It works by preventing testosterone from turning into another hormone that causes hair loss. Over five years, the majority of men who take the drug report that their hair loss slows, their bald spot gets smaller and the appearance of their hair improves. However, the threat of drug-related side effects such as impotence, male breast cancer and perhaps prostate cancer has caused many of my friends to seriously reconsider the importance of a full head of hair.

Read the rest at the LA Times — So what’s the risk of taking that medication?

You should always weigh the risk vs reward for any medication, and this article touches on Propecia side effect risks. The bigger message in this piece is how oftentimes people will give more weight to the negative than the positive. Regardless, the FDA is looking into ways to make drug information easier for the consumer to understand so you can make the choice that is best for you.