Effects of Korean red ginseng on hearing and blood glucose levels in steroid therapy for sudden sensorineural hearing loss

Objectives. Korean red ginseng (KRG) has hypoglycemic, antioxidant, antithrombotic, and other beneficial effects in human. The present study evaluate the therapeutic effects of KRG on hearing recovery and glucocorticoid-induced hyperglycemia in patients with idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) undergoing systemic steroid therapy. Methods. The patients were divided into 2 groups: The steroid, and the combination of steroid and red ginseng. Pure tone averages (PTA) were assessed at the first visit and 2-month follow-up. All patients underwent fasting blood glucose analyses just before and on the fifth day of treatment. Both groups were treated with a 10-day course of oral methylprednisolone at tapering doses starting from a daily dose of 48 mg. To the combination group, KRG extract was administered by mouth at a daily dose of 3 g for 20 days in addition to methylprednisolone. Hearing gain was calculated comparing the initial PTA and PTA at 2 months' follow-up. Treatment responses were classified according to Siegel's criteria. Results. Pretreatment conditions were similar between the steroid (n=37) and combination groups (n=36). At 2 months after the treatment, PTA improved significantly in both groups, but there was no significant difference in the mean hearing gain & recovery rate. The non-diabetic subjects in the steroid group (n=27) exhibited a 24% increase in the mean blood glucose level during the systemic steroid therapy, while those in the combination group (n=34) showed no changes. Conclusion. Although the KRG did not provide greater therapeutic effects on hearing recovery, we suggest that red ginseng can be a useful adjuvant to the current steroid therapy to normalize glucocorticoid-induced hyperglycemia in non-diabetic patients during the treatment of SSNHL.