ArticleThe American journal on addictions2026
An exploratory analysis of 5-alpha reductase inhibitors and risk of opioid use disorder among male Medicare beneficiaries receiving prescription opioid medications.
Article in The American journal on addictions, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.
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Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed.
- Steroid 5α-reductases in the brain: From neurosteroidogenesis to therapeutic implications.Frontiers in neuroendocrinology · 2026Review
- An exploratory analysis of 5-alpha reductase inhibitors and risk of opioid use disorder among male Medicare beneficiaries receiving prescription opioid medications.The American journal on addictions · 2026Article
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Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundOpioid use disorder (OUD) imposes a significant socioeconomic burden, highlighting the need for new interventions.
objectiveThis study investigated whether exposure to 5-alpha reductase inhibitors (5αRIs) is associated with a lower risk of developing OUD.
methodsA cohort study was conducted using Medicare data from 2017 to 2019. Male subjects identified as receiving at least one opioid medication were propensity score matched based on exposure to a 5αRI medication. The primary outcome of interest was a diagnosis of OUD occurring following opioid exposure. Additionally, the study compared the number of morphine milliequivalents (MME) and the count of opioid prescription claims between the groups.
resultsWe identified 467,399 subjects who had received at least one opioid prescription. Among these, 19,176 beneficiaries were receiving a 5αRI before opioid medication exposure and were matched 1:1 to non-users. Use of 5αRI was associated with a reduced risk of OUD (OR = 0.63, 95% CI: 0.53-0.75). MME for subjects exposed to 5αRI was significantly lower than for those without 5αRI exposure (p < .001). Furthermore, there was a significant difference in the number of opioid prescription claims between the groups, with those taking a 5αRI having an average of 6.0 (SD = 10.1) prescriptions as compared to 6.7 (SD = 13.0) for those not receiving a 5αRI (p < .001). CONCLUSIONS AND SCIENTIFIC SIGNIFICANCE: This first of its kind in humans study suggests that concomitant use of opioids and 5αRI is associated with a reduction in OUD and maybe a preventive therapy for patients at risk of OUD. Our findings align with animal models that have shown similar findings.
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