Vitamin B3 precursor prevents noise-induced hearing loss

WARNING: CONTAINS INFORMATION ON STUDY THAT INVOLVED ANIMALS

Researchers from Weill Cornell Medical College and the Gladstone Institutes have found a way to prevent noise-induced hearing loss in a mouse using a simple chemical compound that is a precursor to vitamin B3. This discovery has important implications not only for preventing hearing loss, but also potentially for treating some aging-related conditions that are linked to the same protein.

Published today in Cell Metabolism, the researchers used the chemical nicotinamide riboside (NR) to protect the nerves that innervate the cochlea.

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“The success of this study suggests that targeting SIRT3 using NR could be a viable target for treating all sorts of aging-related disorders—not only hearing loss but also metabolic syndromes like obesity, pulmonary hypertension, and even diabetes.”

source: gladstoneinstitutes.org; “Vitamin Supplement Successfully Prevents Noise-Induced Hearing Loss“