Hearing function after betahistine therapy in patients with Ménière's disease

Preventing or reversing hearing loss is challenging in Ménière's disease. Betahistine, as a histamine agonist, has been tried in controlling vertigo in patients with Ménière's disease, but its effectiveness on hearing problems is not known.

To examine the effect of betahistine on hearing function in not-previously-treated patients with Ménière's disease and to define possible contributors in this regard.

A total of 200 not-previously-treated patients with definite unilateral Ménière's disease received betahistine by mouth (initial dose, 16mg three times a day; maintenance dose, 24-48mg 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 >25dB HL at five frequencies.

The mean duration of disease was 3.37 years. Six months after treatment the mean hearing level decreased by 6.35dB compared to that at the baseline (p<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, 38dB HL, and 1.4 years, respectively.

Oral betahistine was significantly effective in preventing/reversing hearing deterioration in patients with Ménière's disease. Age, the hearing level on admission, and the disease duration were independent predictors of hearing status after treatment.