Effect of tibolone on audiologic functions in menopausal women

The aim of this study was to examine the effect of tibolone on hearing function in postmenopausal women.

This prospective study involved 60 postmenopausal women. Participants were randomly divided into two groups. The tibolone group was assigned to receive a tibolone tablet daily (n = 30). The other 30 cases who had not received any kind of hormone therapy were taken as the control group. The hearing levels of both ears in all women were measured by audiometry before initiation of tibolone therapy and 6 months after therapy.

The baseline hearing threshold levels of the two groups were similiar. After 6 months, audiometry results did not differ from baseline levels in the control group. In the tibolone group, there was some improvement in almost all hearing threshold levels after therapy. Statistically significant differences were only observed on the right side at pure tone audiometry and at the 500 and 6000 Hz levels.

Although tibolone has both gestagenic and androgenic properties together with estrogenic properties, no negative effect on hearing after 6 months of treatment was observed. On the contrary, there was significant improvement in audiometry results at low frequencies after 6 months' treatment. Although statistically not significant, there was some improvement at high frequencies.