Key Points
- NAD+ led to greater hearing improvement and faster recovery
- Average hearing gain nearly doubled: +40.2 dB HL vs +23.1 dB HL (Hearing Levels)
- Word Recognition Score (WRS) reached 100%
- Recovery time was nearly three times faster
- Tinnitus and ear fullness improved markedly
Methods
38 adults with SSNHL were split into two groups
- NAD+: 18 individuals received standard therapy + 5 mg NAD+ daily intramuscular injection
- Control: 20 individuals received standard therapy only (corticosteroids, Ginkgo biloba, batroxobin, mecobalamin)
NAD+ Markedly Improved Hearing Outcomes
NAD+ treatment produced significantly greater hearing restoration than standard therapy alone.
"The NAD+ group showed a significant hearing improvement compared to the control group."
Patients in the NAD+ group gained an average of 40.2 dB HL versus 23.1 dB HL in controls.
"Following treatment, the WRS in the NAD⁺ group reached 100%, which was significantly superior to 82.5% in the control group."
Recovery rates were consistently higher across all categories:
- Total effective rate: 94.4% vs 60.0%
- Markedly effective rate: 66.7% vs 25.0%
- Complete recovery: 44.4% vs 10.0%
Overall, hearing improvements were 34–42% greater in the NAD⁺ group.
Recovery Time Accelerated
NAD+ therapy led to earlier and faster restoration of hearing and function. Recovery time was nearly three times faster in the NAD⁺ group (63 days vs 176 days). Research on NAD+ precursor cycling has revealed how these molecules circulate between tissues and may support cellular repair processes throughout the body, potentially explaining NAD+'s therapeutic effects across different organ systems.
"NAD+ administration promoted earlier and more complete hearing recovery compared with standard therapy alone, indicating that cellular NAD⁺ metabolism may play an important role in auditory repair."
"NAD+ group had a shorter average recovery time of 62.97 days compared to 175.98 days in the control group."
Hospital stays averaged 7.6 days overall, but were significantly shorter in the NAD+ group
"The NAD+ group showed a significantly shorter hospital length of stay than the control group."
Speech Perception and Ear Symptoms Relieved
This study also evaluated speech perception and other ear symptoms.
"The WRS [Word Recognition Score] in the NAD+ group reached 100%, which was significantly superior to 82.5% in the control group."
NAD+ therapy improved tinnitus (ringing or buzzing in the ears) and aural fullness (ear pressure or clogging sensations).
"The NAD+ group showed a significantly higher strong improvement rate for tinnitus (THI 61.1% vs. 27.8%) and aural fullness (VAS 50.0% vs. 37.5%) compared to the control group."
Analysis indicated that NAD+ was particularly effective in patients with more severe baseline symptoms:
"NAD+ may significantly improve tinnitus in participants with pre-tinnitus THI scores over 30 and be more beneficial for aural fullness."
Conclusion
NAD⁺ led to greater hearing improvement, faster recovery times, and higher rates of complete restoration, with no adverse effects reported.
"NAD⁺ was more effective in improving hearing and reducing recovery time in SSNHL patients and also benefited tinnitus and aural fullness management."
"The effective rates for the NAD+ group were 34.44% to 41.67% higher than those of the control group. Our findings indicated that NAD+ may lead to greater hearing improvement compared to the control group."
These findings suggest restoring cellular NAD⁺ metabolism supports cochlear energy production, offering a promising therapeutic avenue for both acute auditory repair and potentially age-related hearing decline. Understanding the connection between NAD+ levels and health conditions across different age groups may help identify which patients could benefit most from NAD+ supplementation for various auditory and metabolic disorders.
