Efficacy and safety of standardized Ginkgo biloba L. leaves extract as an adjuvant therapy for sudden sensorineural hearing loss: A systematic review and meta-analysis

source extracted confidence: high 2026-04-09
#adrenal-cortex-hormones #chemotherapy-adjuvant #drugs-chinese-herbal #ginkgo-biloba #hearing-loss-sensorineural

Efficacy and safety of standardized Ginkgo biloba L. leaves extract as an adjuvant therapy for sudden sensorineural hearing loss: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Si et al., 2022 | J Ethnopharmacol | Meta Analysis

Citation

Si Xia, Yu Zhiying, ... Feng Yufei. Efficacy and safety of standardized Ginkgo biloba L. leaves extract as an adjuvant therapy for sudden sensorineural hearing loss: A systematic review and meta-analysis. J Ethnopharmacol. 2022-Jan-10;282:114587. doi:10.1016/j.jep.2021.114587

Abstract

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Ginkgo biloba L. has been used for medical purposes in China for centuries. Standardized Ginkgo biloba L. leaves extract (GBE) is a widely used botanical drug which displays a variety of pharmacological effects against sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL). AIM OF THE STUDY: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of GBE as an adjuvant therapy, administered with corticosteroids, for the initial management of patients with SSNHL. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We searched seven databases for randomized clinical trials (RCTs) comparing GBE plus corticosteroids with corticosteroids alone for SSNHL treatment. Data analysis was carried out by Review Manager 5.4 and Stata 16.0 software. The study was conducted in accordance with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) reporting guideline. We subsequently evaluated the certainty of evidence using the GRADE (Grading of Recommendation Assessment, Development and Evaluation) approach. RESULTS: A total of 11 RCTs involving 1069 patients were included. Meta-analysis indicated that the clinical cure rate (RR = 1.33, 95% CI = 1.12 to 1.58, P = 0.001) and total effective rate (RR = 1.24, 95%CI = 1.17 to 1.31, P < 0.001) in SSNHL patients receiving GBE plus corticosteroids was superior to patients receiving corticosteroids alone. After treatment, pure tone average (PTA) improvement of observation group was better than that in the control group (WMD = 10.33, 95%CI = 6.46 to 14.21, P < 0.001). The levels of whole blood high shear viscosity (WMD = 0.93, 95%CI = 0.28 to 1.59, P = 0.005), whole blood medium shear viscosity (WMD = 0.53, 95%CI = 0.11 to 0.95, P = 0.01), whole blood low shear viscosity (WMD = 1.26, 95%CI = 0.80 to 1.72, P < 0.001), plasma viscosity (WMD = 0.19, 95%CI = 0.09 to 0.30, P < 0.001) and fibrinogen (WMD = 0.80, 95%CI = 0.25 to 1.35, P = 0.004) were lower than those in the control group. There was no significant difference in the change of hematokrit between two groups (WMD = 4.23, 95%CI = -0.54 to 8.99, P = 0.08). GBE was generally well tolerated, and there was no significant difference in the incidence of adverse reactions between two groups (RR = 1.01, 95%CI = 0.57 to 1.79, P = 0.97). CONCLUSION: The results of the current study suggested that GBE might be effective and promising as an adjuvant to corticosteroids in the initial treatment of moderate to profound SSNHL. However, the GRADE assessment indicated that the overall strength of evidence was not high. Further studies with high methodological quality and low risk of bias are needed to confirm the positive results. PROSPERO registration No. CRD 42020190113.

Key Findings

A total of 11 RCTs involving 1069 patients were included. Meta-analysis indicated that the clinical cure rate (RR = 1.33, 95% CI = 1.12 to 1.58, P = 0.001) and total effective rate (RR = 1.24, 95%CI = 1.17 to 1.31, P < 0.001) in SSNHL patients receiving GBE plus corticosteroids was superior to patients receiving corticosteroids alone. After treatment, pure tone average (PTA) improvement of observation group was better than that in the control group (WMD = 10.33, 95%CI = 6.46 to 14.21, P < 0.001)

Outcomes Measured

  • Requires manual extraction

Population

Field Value
Population ssnhl
Sample Size 1069
Age Range See abstract
Condition See abstract

MeSH Terms

  • Adrenal Cortex Hormones
  • Chemotherapy, Adjuvant
  • Drugs, Chinese Herbal
  • Ginkgo biloba
  • Hearing Loss, Sensorineural
  • Humans
  • Phytotherapy
  • Plant Extracts
  • Ginkgo Extract

Evidence Classification

  • Level: Meta Analysis
  • Publication Types: Journal Article, Meta-Analysis, Systematic Review
  • Vertical: ginkgo

Provenance

Source extracted via PubMed E-utilities API on 2026-04-09