title: Improvement in symptoms and cochlear flow with pycnogenol in patients with Meniere's disease and tinnitus.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this supplement registry was to evaluate the efficacy of the Pycnogenol® in improving cochlear flow and symptoms in a 6-month follow-up for patients with Meniere's disease (MD), tinnitus and cochlear hypoperfusion.
  
  
  METHODS
  Main signs/symptoms were considered: Spontaneous vertigo, positional vertigo, hearing loss, tinnitus, pressure in the ear, unsteady gait, associated clinical problems, alterations in daily life. All subjects were managed with the best available management (BM); one group used the supplement Pycnogenol (150 mg/day). Cochlear flow and tinnitus were also evaluated. Out of 120 patients incuded in the registry, 55 used Pycnogenol and 52 (controls) were managed only with BM.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was a more significant improvement in all registry items at 3 and 6 months in the Pycnogenol group (P<0.05). The number of lost working days was lower in the Pycnogenol group. At 3 months, 45.4% of subjects using Pycnogenol were completely asymptomatic in comparison with 23.07% of controls. At 6 months 87.3% of the Pycnogenol subjects were asymptomatic compared with 34.6% of controls. Cochlear flow velocity was significantly better (higher flow, higher diastolic component) in the Pycnogenol group (P<0.05). The subjective tinnitus scale decreased in both groups (P<0.05); the decrease was more significant in Pycnogenol subjects (P<0.05) at 3 and 6 months.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Symptoms of Meniere's disease, flow at cochlear level and tinnitus improved in Pycnogenol subjects in comparison with best management.
authors.affiliation: IRVINE3 Vascular/Circulation Labs Deparment of Biomedical Sciences CH-PE University, Pescara, Italy - cardres@abol.it.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Luzzi
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Belcaro
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dugall
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hosoi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cacchio
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ippolito
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Corsi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity / Q000187:drug effects; D003051:Cochlea / Q000098:blood supply*; D005260:Female; D005419:Flavonoids / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008575:Meniere Disease / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010936:Plant Extracts; D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012039:Regional Blood Flow / Q000187:drug effects; D012042:Registries; D013997:Time Factors; D014012:Tinnitus / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D005419:Flavonoids; D010936:Plant Extracts; D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors; C024070:pycnogenols