Propecia suppresses PSA

Dallas - Low-dose Propecia (finasteride, Merck), used to treat hair loss, appears to suppress prostate specific antigen (PSA) levels, which could skew results of prostate cancer tests, researchers say.

The suppression could mean that a previously safe reading on a PSA test could be false, the Los Angeles Times reports.

A study, published in TheLancet Oncology, followed 308 men age 40 to 60 with male-pattern baldness who took either 1 mg of finasteride daily for 12 months, or placebo.