Hyperhomocysteinemia in sudden sensorineural hearing loss: Evidence from a prospective clinical study.
Higher baseline homocysteine levels associated with sudden sensorineural hearing loss
Hyperhomocysteinemia in sudden sensorineural hearing loss: Evidence from a prospective clinical study.
To compare baseline and post-treatment homocysteine levels in patients with sudden sensorineural hearing loss (sensorineural hearing loss) and to evaluate the potential role of homocysteine in the pathogenesis of the disease as well as its association with hearing recovery.
A total of 40 patients diagnosed with sensorineural hearing loss and 40 age- and sex-matched healthy controls were included in this prospective observational study.
higher homocysteine independently raises sudden hearing loss odds
Baseline homocysteine levels were significantly higher in the sensorineural hearing loss group compared with controls.
No significant change in homocysteine levels was observed after treatment, although hearing thresholds improved significantly.
Homocysteine levels were not significantly associated with hearing recovery.
ROC curve analysis demonstrated good discriminative ability for baseline homocysteine in distinguishing sensorineural hearing loss patients from controls (AUC = 0.809, 95% CI: 0.712-0.905, p < 0.001).
Homocysteine may play a role in the pathophysiology of sensorineural hearing loss as a potential vascular risk marker.
However, the lack of significant post-treatment reduction and its absence of association with hearing recovery suggest that it may function more as a predisposing factor rather than a prognostic biomarker.
Further large-scale prospective studies are needed to evaluate the potential therapeutic implications of homocysteine-lowering strategies in sensorineural hearing loss.