Finasteride Health Dictionary

Linn.

Family: Poaceae.

Habitat: Ladakh, Lahul and other north-western Himalayan areas; and as host for cultivation of medicinal ergot (fungus) in Kashmir.

English: Rye Grass.

Action: Grass—used for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), chronic prostatis and prostatodynia.

Rye bread, biscuits, porridge and alcoholic products are available in European countries and the US. Rye grain contains 12.1% protein; made up of 42% gliadin (a prolamine), 42% glutelin, 8% globulin and 8% albumin. The biological value of Rye protein at 5% level of intake is 80.4% and the coefficient of true digestibility 91.0%.

The mineral contents in the grain are: calcium 61, potassium 453, magnesium 155, phosphorus 376, sulphur 146 and iron 4.8 mg/100 g; and small amounts of zinc, copper, manganese and aluminium. The carbohydrates (73.4%) include surcose, pentosans, starch and raffinose.

Medicinally applicable part of Rye Grass is the polan extract. The extract contains beta-sitosterol; relaxes urethral smooth muscle tone and increases bladder muscle contraction. Some evidence suggests that it might affect alpha-adrenergic receptors and relax the internal and external bladder sphincter muscle. The extract does not affect LH, FSH, testosterone or dihydrotestosterone. A specific Rye Grass pollen extract 126 mg three times daily has been used for BHP. (Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database, 2007.)

(It is not known if Rye Grass pollen is comparable to finasteride or hytrin. However, it is comparable to Pygeum and Paraprost, a Japanese prostate remedy containing L-glutamic acid, L-alanine and aminoacetic acid.)... secale cereale

Loss or absence of hair, which may occur at any hair-bearing site on the body but which is usually noticeable only on the scalp.

Male-pattern baldness, the most common form of alopecia, is hereditary and most often affects men. Normal hair is lost initially from the temples and crown and is replaced by fine, downy hair; the affected area gradually widens. Other hereditary forms are rare. They may be due to an absence of hair roots or abnormalities of the hair shaft.

In generalized alopecia, the hair falls out in large amounts. Causes include various forms of stress, such as surgery, prolonged illness, or childbirth. Many anticancer drugs cause temporary alopecia. The hair regrows when the underlying cause is corrected.

Localized alopecia may be due to permanent skin damage (for example, by burns or radiotherapy) or trauma to the hair roots by styling or, rarely, trichotillomania (a disorder in which sufferers pull out their hair). The most common type of localized hair loss is alopecia areata, which is an autoimmune disorder. There is no specific treatment, but the hair usually regrows within a few months. Alopecia universalis is a rare, permanent form of alopecia areata that causes loss of all the hair on the scalp and body, including the eyelashes and eyebrows. Skin diseases such as scalp ringworm (see tinea), lichen planus, lupus erythematosus, and skin tumours may also cause localized hair loss.

Treatments for male-pattern baldness include hair transplants or drug treatments with minoxidil or finasteride.... alopecia

n. any one of a group of drugs that inhibit the action of testosterone on the prostate gland by blocking androgen receptors, competing for binding sites, or decreasing androgen production. They are therefore used in the treatment of prostate cancer, which is an androgen-dependent tumour. Anti-androgens include *abiraterone acetate, *bicalutamide, *cyproterone, *finasteride, and *flutamide.... anti-androgen

n. a drug used in the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia (see prostate gland). It is a 5?-reductase inhibitor, which blocks the conversion of testosterone to dihydrotestosterone. It has the same side-effects as *finasteride.... dutasteride

n. see finasteride.... proscar

a male accessory sex gland that opens into the urethra just below the bladder and vas deferens (see illustration). The prostate is divided into different anatomical regions called McNeal’s zones (transition, central, peripheral, and anterior fibromuscular zones). During ejaculation it secretes an alkaline fluid that forms part of the *semen. The prostate may become enlarged in elderly men (benign prostatic hyperplasia; BPH). This may result in obstruction of the neck of the bladder, impairing urination. The bladder dilates and the increased pressure is transmitted through the ureters to the kidney nephrons, leading to damage and impaired function of the kidneys. Treatment is by transurethral *resection of the prostate (see also prostatectomy) or by means of drugs (e.g. *finasteride, alpha blockers).... prostate gland