Abstract
The relationship between tinnitus, vertigo and hyperlipidemia was investigated in 124 tinnitus patients and 29 vertigo patients with hyperlipidemia. Hyperlipidemia was successfully treated in 109 tinnitus patients and 23 of the vertigo patients. Both an improvement in the symptoms and a reduction in the serum lipid were seen in 57 tinnitus and 11 vertigo patients. In the tinnitus patients, a decrease in the serum triglyceride (TG) level was found to be significantly related with the reduction in tinnitus. In the vertigo patients, a reduction in the serum total cholesterol (T-CHOL) was found to be related to an improvement in the vertigious attack. The reduction of phospholipids did not apparently improve the symptoms of tinnitus or vertigo. It appeared that the difference in the lipid levels between the tinnitus and vertigo patients was due to the following mechanism: An elevation of the T-CHOL levels might decrease due to the microcirculation of the brain stem which plays and important role in vestibular compensation. In contrast, higher levels of TG probably directly affected the inner ears regarding hair cells or stria vascularis. We therefore consider that careful examinations and the appropriate treatment of hyperlipidemia are beneficial in the treatment of some tinnitus or vertigo patients.
