Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine

FRIDAY, March 21, 2025 -- Specific dietary elements, including fruit, dietary fiber, caffeine, and dairy consumption, are associated with a reduced incidence of tinnitus , according to a review published online March 18 in The BMJ . Mengni Zhang, from the Hospital of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine in China, and colleagues conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies to examine the association between tinnitus incidence and daily dietary patterns. Ten retrospective studies were included in the analysis; the last eight were incorporated into the meta-analysis. Fifteen dietary factors were assessed. The researchers found negative correlations for fruit, dietary fiber, caffeine, and dairy consumption with tinnitus incidence (odds ratios, 0.649, 0.918, 0.898, and 0.827, respectively). The robustness of the findings was confirmed in a sensitivity analysis. "The primary underlying mechanisms may involve the protective effects of these diets on blood vessels and nerves, as well as their anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties," the authors write. "However, it is crucial to interpret our findings cautiously because of the overall low quality of the evidence available." Abstract/Full Text Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.

THURSDAY, March 20, 2025 -- Lowering the volume on earbuds or wearing earplugs in noisy environments is known to reduce a person’s risk of tinnitus . Now, new research suggests that eating more fruit and fiber or drinking more milk and coffee may also stave off the vexing and persistent buzzing that can drive folks to distraction. Simple dietary changes appear to reduce people’s risk of developing tinnitus, researchers reported in The BMJ . “Diet-based strategies for tinnitus prevention are anticipated to play a significant role in chronic tinnitus management,” the research team led by senior researcher Qinxiu Zhang with the Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Sichuan, China, concluded. “Existing evidence suggests that consuming fruit, dietary fiber, caffeine and dairy may be associated with a reduced incidence of tinnitus,” researchers wrote. About one in every six (14%) adults has tinnitus, researchers said in background notes. Although exposure to loud noise is a key risk factor for the hearing problem, “the origins of tinnitus remain elusive and involve a range of factors,” researchers wrote. For the evidence review, researchers pooled data from eight previous studies that looked at potential links between tinnitus and diet. The studies involved more than 300,000 people. Results showed that increased consumption of certain foods reduced tinnitus risk: These foods might influence tinnitus risk by providing the body with specific nutrients that protect hearing health, researchers said. For example, caffeine might promote the release of hormones that protect nerves related to hearing, researchers said, while fruit and fiber might keep blood sugar level and prevent potentially damaging inflammation. “The primary underlying mechanisms may involve the protective effects of these diets on blood vessels and nerves, as well as their anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties,” researchers added. “However, it is crucial to interpret our findings cautiously because of the overall low quality of the evidence available.” The review did not find any evidence for other foods that might potentially lower tinnitus risk, such as chocolate, vegetables, eggs, meat or fish. The studies included in the review also could not support a dose-response relationship between these foods and tinnitus, researchers said. In other words, eating tons of fruit or imbibing lots of caffeine will not necessarily produce ever-increasing protection against tinnitus. Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.

TUESDAY, Sept. 3, 2024 -- Acupuncture interventions using high- or low-sensitivity acupoints (HSA and LSA) are more effective for reducing chronic neck pain (CNP) than sham acupuncture (SA) or wait-list (WL) control, according to a study published online Sept. 3 in the Annals of Internal Medicine . Ling Zhao, Ph.D., from the Acupuncture and Tuina School at Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine in China, and colleagues examined the efficacy and safety of pressure-pain, sensory-based individualized acupuncture for relieving pain in a 24-week multicenter, randomized controlled trial conducted at four clinical centers in China. The study included 716 participants with CNP who were randomly assigned to a WL group or HSA, LSA, or SA acupuncture groups. Overall, 683 participants were included in the modified intention-to-treat population. The researchers found that for HSA, LSA, SA, and WL, the mean baseline visual analog scale scores were 50.36, 50.10, 49.24, and 49.16, respectively. The mean baseline to week 4 changes were −12.16, −10.19, −6.11, and −2.24 in the HSA, LSA, SA, and WL groups, respectively. At 24-week follow-up, the intervention effects persisted. "In contrast to SA and a WL control, individualized acupuncture was more effective in reducing pain for a minimum of 24 weeks. The clinical importance of this improvement is unclear," the authors write. "Our results suggest that the selection of pressure-pain, sensory-based objective acupoints could be considered as a treatment of CNP."