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A recent study suggests that certain factors associated with developing age-related hearing loss (ARHL) differ by sex, including weight, smoking behavior, and hormone exposure.
Published in the open-access journal PLOS ONE on March 6, 2024, the study was led by Dong Woo Nam from Chungbuk National University Hospital, South Korea, and colleagues. ARHL, characterized by slowly-advancing difficulty in hearing high-frequency sounds, affects roughly 1 in 5 people worldwide and can lead to challenges in spoken communication, loneliness, and depression.
To better understand the factors associated with ARHL and how these factors differ between sexes, the researchers analyzed health examination data from 2,349 participants aged over 60. After collecting medical history and conducting various tests, including blood tests, body composition tests, and hearing tests, statistical analyses were performed to identify factors strongly associated with ARHL risk for males and females.
While some factors, such as age, were associated with ARHL regardless of gender, others showed different associations between males and females. For instance, being underweight was significantly associated with ARHL in males, while both low weight and obesity were associated with ARHL risk in females. Smoking was linked to increased ARHL risk in males only, with a higher prevalence of smokers among males in the sample population. Additionally, females who experienced earlier menstruation were less likely to develop ARHL later in life, suggesting a potential protective effect of estrogen.
The study does not establish causal relationships between these factors and hearing loss, and further experimental studies are needed to confirm and interpret these findings. However, the authors suggest that assessing and counseling patients about smoking behavior, weight, and menstruation may improve screening and preventative treatment for ARHL.
The authors emphasize the importance of preventing hearing loss, particularly as it relates to aging, and advocate for early intervention and lifestyle modifications to mitigate the risk of ARHL.
In conclusion, the study sheds light on the gender-specific factors associated with ARHL and underscores the need for tailored approaches to screening and prevention.
