Researchers led by María Eugenia Gomez-Casati, the Institute of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of Buenos Aires-CONICET; Mauricio Martin, the Institute of Medical Research Mercedes; and Martín Ferreyra, (INIMEC-CONICET-UNC), National University of Córdoba in Argentina report that age-related hearing loss is associated with a decrease of cholesterol in the inner ear. Experiments published August 24th in the open access journal PLOS Biology show that phytosterols supplements were able to act in place of the lost cholesterol and prevent sensory dysfunction in mice.