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

OBJECTIVE

To test whether the 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl- coenzyme A reductase inhibitor atorvastatin can slow down the progression of presbycusis.

PATIENTS: Fifty patients 60- to 75-years-old with presbycusis and moderately elevated serum cholesterol.

INTERVENTION(S): In a double-blind design, patients were randomly assigned to treatment with either atorvastatin (40 mg/d orally) or placebo.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Pure-tone audiometry and tinnitus evaluation at enrolment and after 7 and 13 months.

RESULTS

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).

CONCLUSION

Atorvastatin had no effect on the development of hearing thresholds, but resulted in a trend toward a relief of tinnitus.