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| October 14, 2010 | Pine bark effective in relieving tinnitus symptoms | |
Washington: Pycnogenol, an antioxidant plant extract derived from the bark of the French maritime pine tree, is effective in
relieving tinnitus symptoms by improving blood flow in the inner ear, says a new study. Tinnitus is a hearing condition that causes the constant misperception
of sound, including hissing, ringing and rushing noises. "Impaired blood flow
to the ear is a common cause for tinnitus, a disturbing and very debilitating
condition that can considerably impact overall health and quality of life," said
Dr. Gianni Belcaro, a lead researcher on the study along with his team from Irvine3
Vascular labs, Chieti-Pescara University . "With few options available for treatment,
this study gave us the opportunity to explore a natural solution to tinnitus symptoms
and its causes." In a study conducted by the Chieti-Pescara University in Italy,
82 patients between the ages of 35 and 55 with mild-to-moderate tinnitus in only
one ear, while the other remains unaffected, were studied throughout a four-week
period. Tinnitus in all subjects was a result of restricted blood supply to the
inner ear, as measured by high resolution ultrasonography imaging of their cochlear
blood flow. Patients were assigned to one of three groups: A, B and control. Group
A consisted of 24 patients who were administered 150 mg/day of Pycnogenol, group
B consisted of 34 patients who were administered 100 mg/day of Pycnogenol, and
the control group consisted of 24 patients who received no Pycnogenol. None of
the patients had previously used medication for their tinnitus symptoms. At the
beginning of the study, patients' average initial systolic and diastolic blood
flow velocities were 14.3 and 4.22 cm/sec in the low dose Pycnogenol group and
13.2 and 3.2 cm/sec in the high dose Pycnogenol group, indicative of insufficient
blood perfusion of the ear in both groups. The study found that after four weeks
of treatment with Pycnogenol, inner ear systolic and diastolic blood flow velocities
in the affected ear rose to an average of 21.2 and 8.23 cm/sec in the low dose
group and to 24.3 and 12.5 cm/sec in the high dose group. Not only are these results
significant for the improvement of inner ear blood micro-circulation and, consequently
reduction of tinnitus symptoms, but they also indicate the potentially dose-related
effect of Pycnogenol on the condition. The study also examined in detail the effects
of Pycnogenol on the symptoms of tinnitus. Using a Subjective Tinnitus Scale (STS)
at the inception of the study, subjects were instructed to rate their symptoms
from "zero" (low intensity of symptoms) to "fifteen" (constant and severe symptoms).
The initial STS average value was approximately 8.8 among patients in the
Pycnogenol
group and 7.9 in the control group. After four weeks, STS scores reduced to 5.2
in the low dose group and 3.3 in the high dose group, demonstrating a dramatic
reduction of the disturbing background noise in the effected ear. There were no
significant changes within the control group. "The study clearly indicates Pycnogenol's
ability to improve vascular function and restore cochlear blood perfusion, which
in turn relieves the severity of tinnitus symptoms," said Dr. Belcaro. "The results
provide further evidence of the supplement's natural efficacy for a variety of
vascular health symptoms." The study has been published in Panminerva Medica.
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