A longitudinal study of nearly 144,000 women in the U.S., with up to 34 years of clinical follow-up, determined that having osteoporosis (low bone density) increased the risk of moderate or worse hearing loss by 30%.
About 25% of U.S. women aged 65 and older have osteoporosis, which reduces bone strength, increasing the risk of fractures. Osteoporosis accounts for an estimated 1.5 million fractures per year in the U.S., most in postmenopausal women.
Early interventions
The researchers urge clinicians to help their patients with early interventions, such as diet and exercise, that may improve hearing health.
“Hearing loss is a common and disabling sensory disorder that afflicts about 48 million Americans, and the global prevalence of hearing loss is expected to grow as the world’s population ages,” Sharon Curhan, MD, ScM, physician and epidemiologist, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA. “The consequences of hearing loss on health, communication, social well-being, and quality of life can be devastating. Hearing loss is often irreversible, incurs enormous individual and societal costs, and treatments are limited,” she added.
Reduce your risk
The study, Conservation of Hearing Study (CHEARS), focused on identifying modifiable risk factors, such as diet and other lifestyle changes, that could help reduce the risk of hearing loss or delay its progression.
Investigating whether dietary approaches that have been shown to help prevent osteoporosis, such as getting enough calcium and vitamin D, may also prevent hearing loss. We previously found that many factors that can help reduce the risk of osteoporosis, such as eating a healthy diet, staying physically active, not smoking and maintaining a healthy weight, also help reduce the risk of hearing loss,” Dr. Curhan noted.
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