Coenzyme Q10 for Age-Related Hearing Loss
Sixty patients (mean age, 71 years) with presbycusis (age-related hearing loss) were randomly assigned to receive, in double-blind fashion, 160 mg per day of water-soluble , coenzyme Q10 (CoQ1O), 50 mg per day of vitamin E, or placebo for 30 days. Compared with vitamin E, CoQ1O significantly improved audiometric thresholds at 1000, 2000, 4000, and 8000 Hz. The improvement appeared to persist 6 months after the end of treatment. It was not clear whether CoQ1 0 was significantly more effective than placebo.
Comment: There are few effective treatments for age-related hearing loss (zinc appears to be beneficial in a small proportion of cases). If the results of the present study can be confirmed, CoQ1O can be added to the list of effective treatment options for this common condition. CoQ1O might work by enhancing mitochondrial energy production or decreasing oxidative stress in the auditory apparatus.
Source:
Townsend Letter
15 November 2011
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