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Lee Swanson Research Update
Antioxidant-rich supplements may reduce noise-induced and perhaps even age-related hearing loss in humans. But first human trials will need to be scheduled to see if they can echo the promising results of recent animal studies.
Studies using guinea pigs and mice found that supplements of beta-carotene and vitamins C and E and the mineral magnesium, consumed prior to exposure to loud noise, could prevent both temporary and permanent hearing loss in animals.
Researchers from the universities of Florida, Michigan and Washington and OtoMedicine reported their findings recently at the annual conference of the Association for Research in Otolaryngology held in Baltimore, MD.
"What is appealing about this vitamin ‘cocktail’ is that previous studies in humans, including those demonstrating successful use of these supplements in protecting eye health, have shown that supplements of these particular vitamins are safe for long-term use," said researcher Colleen Le Prel, an associate professor in Florida.
According to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, about 25 million Americans have noise-induced hearing loss.
The first study used guinea pigs. After consumption of the vitamin supplements, the animals were exposed to four hours of 110 decibel (dB) noise. Such levels are similar to those reached at a loud concert. Animals that consumed the vitamins did not suffer from temporary hearing loss, the researchers reported.
In the second study, the researchers looked at the effects of a single loud sound exposure, which would lead to permanent noise-induced hearing loss. In this case, the vitamin supplements are reported to prevent cell loss in an inner ear structure called the lateral wall. This structure is linked to age-related hearing loss and the researches suggest this has implications for protecting against age-related changes in hearing in humans.
The findings appear to fit with earlier findings that noise-induced hearing loss is linked to the production of free radicals. "The free radicals literally punch holes in the membrane of the cells," explained Miller, from the University of Michigan.
Research is ongoing in the area, confirmed the scientists, with a clinical trail funded by the National Institutes of Health investigating the effects of vitamin supplements in Florida college students who wear MP3 music players and noise-exposed military troops and factory workers in Sweden and Spain.
Assuming positive results from these trials, the researchers stated that concert-goers could soon be taking a supplement before heading out; a daily supplement could become available for factory workers or a nutritional bar for soldiers.
"Ear protection, such as ear plugs, is always the best practice for the prevention of noise-induced hearing loss, but in those populations who don’t or can’t wear hearing protection, for people in which mechanical devices just aren’t enough, and for people who may experience unexpected noise insult, these supplements could provide an opportunity for additional protection," said Le Prel.
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