Atorvastatin is widely prescribed for hyperlipidemia and is generally well tolerated. Auditory adverse effects are rarely reported, and statin-associated sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) remains poorly characterized. CASE PRESENTATION: A 45-year-old Ethiopian woman developed bilateral tinnitus followed by progressive, symmetric bilateral SNHL 3 weeks after starting atorvastatin 40 mg daily....
This single case raises atorvastatin as a possible rare cause of reversible bilateral sensorineural hearing loss; audiologists should ask about statin use when no other cause is identified, but one case report is insufficient to change standard practice.
Statins are among the most widely prescribed drugs worldwide, so even a rare ototoxic (hearing-damaging) effect has large population-level implications if confirmed in larger studies.
- 01Single case report of bilateral sensorineural hearing loss temporally linked to atorvastatin use.
- 02Hearing loss was reversible after atorvastatin was discontinued.
- 03Patient was being treated for hyperlipidemia (high cholesterol).
- 04Ototoxicity (medication-related hearing damage) from statins is considered rare and poorly documented.
- 05Published in Journal of Medical Case Reports, 2026 (DOI: 10.1186/s13256-026-06114-8).
Atorvastatin use was associated with reversible bilateral sensorineural hearing loss in this patient.
studypartially supportedThe hearing loss resolved after atorvastatin was discontinued.
studysupportedStatin-induced ototoxicity is a rare adverse effect.
opinionpartially supported- PMID
- 42231380
- DOI
- 10.1186/s13256-026-06114-8.
- Journal
- Journal of Medical Case Reports
- Publication type
- case_report
- Evidence level
- 4
- Sample size
- 1
- Population
- Single patient treated for hyperlipidemia who developed bilateral sensorineural hearing loss
- Intervention
- Atorvastatin (statin therapy for hyperlipidemia)
Primary outcomes
Development of bilateral sensorineural hearing loss; Reversibility of hearing loss after drug discontinuation