Effect of a 4-Week Treatment with Cilostazol in Patients with Chronic Tinnitus: A Randomized, Prospective, Placebo-controlled, Double-blind, Pilot Study

Abstract

OBJECTIVE:The aim of this prospective, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study was to evaluate the efficacy of cilostazol, a selective phosphodiesterase 3 inhibitor, in patients with chronic tinnitus. MATERIALS and METHODS:Adult patients of chronic tinnitus lasting more than 3 months were included. Fifty eligible patients were randomly assigned to either cilostazol or control (placebo) group. The study medication of oral 100-mg cilostazol and a matching placebo were used twice a day for 4 weeks. Subjective tinnitus severity was evaluated using the visual analog scale (VAS), tinnitus handicap inventory (THI), and Short-Form 36 health survey (SF-36) at baseline and at 2 and 4 weeks after study initiation. Changes in tinnitus pitch and loudness matching values were also analyzed. RESULTS:The improvement range in the VAS score was significantly greater in the cilostazol group than in the placebo group after 4 weeks' administration of cilostazol. The SF-36 subscales also showed improvement in quality of life in the physical component summary subscale, the aggregate subscale of the physical category. There were no significant improvements in the cilostazol group compared to the placebo group in the THI subscales and tinnitus characteristics of pitch and loudness matching values. Various degrees of headaches were experienced by 68% of patients in the cilostazol group. CONCLUSION:A 4-week administration of oral cilostazol in patients with chronic tinnitus may mitigate the severity of subjective tinnitus.

Therapeutic targeting of 3′,5′-cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterases: inhibition and beyond

“…One study explored the efficacy of cilostazol in chronic tinnitus, and reported some improvement (108).…”

Queixa de Zumbido e Alterações de Saúde

“…Com relação à influência do gênero no predomínio da queixa de zumbido, os achados na literatura são controversos, tendo sido verificado em alguns estudos a prevalência do gênero masculino 21 e em outros do gênero feminino 7,22 . Entretanto, dificilmente as diferenças entre os gêneros são estatisticamente significativas.…”

<em>Ginkgo biloba</em> extract EGb 761^&reg; alleviates neurosensory symptoms in patients with dementia: a meta-analysis of treatment effects on tinnitus and dizziness in randomized, placebo-controlled trials

“…Such types of 11-point VASs are often used as measures for pain, 33 , 34 and have also been found useful for the assessment of other unpleasant and distressing symptoms, such as dizziness 35 or tinnitus. 33 , 36 , 37 In the studies reviewed here, 11-point box scales for tinnitus and dizziness were administered with the extreme ends indicating “no tinnitus at all” (0) and “extremely severe tinnitus” (10) or “no dizziness at all” (0) and “extremely severe dizziness” (10).…”