Patient-reported outcomes of topical finasteride/minoxidil treatment for male androgenetic alopecia: A retrospective study using telemedical data

TY - JOUR

T1 - Patient-reported outcomes of topical finasteride/minoxidil treatment for male androgenetic alopecia: A retrospective study using telemedical data

AU - Abeck, Finn

AU - Hansen, Inga

AU - Kött, Julian

AU - Schröder, Florian

AU - Garrahy, Edward

AU - Veneroso, Juliana

AU - Rünger, Alessandra

AU - Torster, Leopold

AU - Schneider, Stefan W

AU - von Büren, Johannes

N1 - © 2024 The Authors. Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.

PY - 2024/9

Y1 - 2024/9

N2 - BACKGROUND: Oral finasteride and topical minoxidil are the current standard of care for male androgenetic alopecia and a combination of the two treatments can be considered for greater efficacy. Clinical trials of topical finasteride have also yielded promising results, but routine care data are lacking.AIMS: To examine patient-reported outcomes of men with androgenetic alopecia who received topical finasteride admixed with minoxidil compared to the current standard of care (oral finasteride).METHODS: Retrospective, cross-sectional study with data from a German direct-to-consumer teledermatology platform between December 2021 and January 2023. Patient-reported outcomes were collected through voluntary follow-up questionnaires provided after 6 weeks on topical finasteride/minoxidil or oral finasteride treatment.RESULTS: A total of 1545 patients who received topical finasteride/minoxidil treatment were included; 238 (15.4%) participated in the follow-up questionnaire. At week six, 62.2% (148/238) reported positive changes in their hair appearance, and 44.1% (105/238) reported an improvement of self-esteem. Treatment-related adverse events were reported in 11.8% (28/238). Full treatment adherence was observed in 74.4% (177/238). Comparing the topical treatment group to those receiving oral finasteride, lower treatment adherence was reported, along with higher rates of local adverse events; no difference was found in the incidence of sexual adverse events.CONCLUSION: Based on patient-reported outcomes, topical finasteride/minoxidil seems to be effective and well tolerated, but not superior to oral finasteride. Lower treatment adherence for topical usage must be considered when considering treatment options. Additional real-world data are needed to further evaluate the efficacy and safety of topical finasteride/minoxidil.

AB - BACKGROUND: Oral finasteride and topical minoxidil are the current standard of care for male androgenetic alopecia and a combination of the two treatments can be considered for greater efficacy. Clinical trials of topical finasteride have also yielded promising results, but routine care data are lacking.AIMS: To examine patient-reported outcomes of men with androgenetic alopecia who received topical finasteride admixed with minoxidil compared to the current standard of care (oral finasteride).METHODS: Retrospective, cross-sectional study with data from a German direct-to-consumer teledermatology platform between December 2021 and January 2023. Patient-reported outcomes were collected through voluntary follow-up questionnaires provided after 6 weeks on topical finasteride/minoxidil or oral finasteride treatment.RESULTS: A total of 1545 patients who received topical finasteride/minoxidil treatment were included; 238 (15.4%) participated in the follow-up questionnaire. At week six, 62.2% (148/238) reported positive changes in their hair appearance, and 44.1% (105/238) reported an improvement of self-esteem. Treatment-related adverse events were reported in 11.8% (28/238). Full treatment adherence was observed in 74.4% (177/238). Comparing the topical treatment group to those receiving oral finasteride, lower treatment adherence was reported, along with higher rates of local adverse events; no difference was found in the incidence of sexual adverse events.CONCLUSION: Based on patient-reported outcomes, topical finasteride/minoxidil seems to be effective and well tolerated, but not superior to oral finasteride. Lower treatment adherence for topical usage must be considered when considering treatment options. Additional real-world data are needed to further evaluate the efficacy and safety of topical finasteride/minoxidil.

U2 - 10.1111/jocd.16360

DO - 10.1111/jocd.16360

M3 - SCORING: Journal article

C2 - 38713003

VL - 23

SP - 2956

EP - 2963

JO - J COSMET DERMATOL-US

JF - J COSMET DERMATOL-US

SN - 1473-2130

IS - 9

ER -