Effect of atorvastatin on progression of sensorineural hearing loss and tinnitus in the elderly: results of a prospective, randomized, double-blind clinical trial

To test whether the 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl- coenzyme A reductase inhibitor atorvastatin can slow down the progression of presbycusis. Fifty patients 60- to 75-years-old with presbycusis and moderately elevated serum cholesterol. In a double-blind design, patients were randomly assigned to treatm...

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Published inOtology & neurotology Vol. 28; no. 4; p. 455
Main Authors Olzowy, Bernhard, Canis, Martin, Hempel, John-Martin, Mazurek, Birgit, Suckfüll, Markus
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published United States 01.06.2007
Subjects
Aged
Atorvastatin Calcium
Audiometry
Auditory Threshold - drug effects
Auditory Threshold - physiology
Cholesterol - blood
Cholesterol, LDL - blood
Disease Progression
Double-Blind Method
Female
Hearing Loss, Sensorineural - drug therapy
Hearing Loss, Sensorineural - physiopathology
Heptanoic Acids - therapeutic use
Humans
Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors - therapeutic use
Male
Middle Aged
Presbycusis - drug therapy
Presbycusis - physiopathology
Prospective Studies
Pyrroles - therapeutic use
Speech Perception - drug effects
Speech Perception - physiology
Tinnitus - drug therapy
Tinnitus - physiopathology
Treatment Outcome
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Summary:To test whether the 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl- coenzyme A reductase inhibitor atorvastatin can slow down the progression of presbycusis. Fifty patients 60- to 75-years-old with presbycusis and moderately elevated serum cholesterol. In a double-blind design, patients were randomly assigned to treatment with either atorvastatin (40 mg/d orally) or placebo. Pure-tone audiometry and tinnitus evaluation at enrolment and after 7 and 13 months. Development of hearing thresholds after 7 and 13 months showed no significant differences between the groups. Tinnitus score continuously improved in the atorvastatin group (34.8 at 7 and 27.6 at 13 mo), whereas it slightly deteriorated in the placebo group (24.8 at 7 and 26.8 at 13 mo). The effect on tinnitus was a tendency without statistic significance (p = 0.0833). Atorvastatin had no effect on the development of hearing thresholds, but resulted in a trend toward a relief of tinnitus.
ISSN:1531-7129
DOI:10.1097/01.mao.0000271673.33683.7b