Hearing function after betahistine therapy in patients with Ménière's disease [Função auditiva após terapia com beta-histina em pacientes com doença de Ménière]

Abstract

Introduction Preventing or reversing hearing loss is challenging in Mé niأ¨re's disease. Betahistine, as a histamine agonist, has been tried in controlling vertigo in patients with Mé niأ¨re's disease, but its effectiveness on hearing problems is not known. Objective To examine the effect of betahistine on hearing function in not-previously-treated patients with Mé niأ¨re's disease and to define possible contributors in this regard. Methods A total of 200 not-previously-treated patients with definite unilateral Mé niأ¨re's disease received betahistine by mouth (initial dose, 16آ mg three times a day; maintenance dose, 24-48آ mg daily in divided doses). Changes in indicators of hearing status before and six months after treatment were documented. Hearing loss was considered as the mean hearing level >25آ dB HL at five frequencies. Results The mean duration of disease was 3.37 years. Six months after treatment the mean hearing level decreased by 6.35آ dB compared to that at the baseline (pآ <آ 0.001). Both patients' age and the duration of disease correlated negatively with the improvement in hearing function. Post treatment hearing loss was independently associated with age, the initial hearing level and the chronicity of disease. The corresponding optimal cut-off points for predicating a persistent hearing loss 6 months after treatment were 47 years, 38آ dB HL, and 1.4 years, respectively. Conclusion Oral betahistine was significantly effective in preventing/reversing hearing deterioration in patients with Mé niأ¨re's disease. Age, the hearing level on admission, and the disease duration were independent predictors of hearing status after treatment. é 2015 Associaç?o Brasileira de Otorrinolaringologia e Cirurgia Cé rvico-Facial