Risk factors for presbycusis in a socio-economic middle-class sample

Area of Science:

• Audiology
• Gerontology
• Otolaryngology

Background:

• Presbycusis, or age-related hearing loss, primarily impacts the inner ear and cochlear nerve, leading to sensorineural hearing loss.
• Systemic diseases and lifestyle habits are potential contributors to inner ear damage and presbycusis.
• Identifying risk factors is crucial for developing effective prevention strategies for presbycusis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the prevalence of presbycusis in individuals over 40 years of age.
• To identify significant risk factors associated with the development of presbycusis in the studied population.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective case series design was employed.
• Evaluation of medical records for 625 patients aged 40 and above.
• Presbycusis diagnosis confirmed through pure tone audiometry, speech audiometry, and impedance testing.

Main Results:

• The prevalence of presbycusis was found to be 36.1%.
• The average age of affected individuals was 50.5 years, with males comprising 85.5% of the cases.
• Identified risk factors included advanced age, male gender, diabetes mellitus, and a history of hereditary hearing loss.

Conclusions:

• This study identified specific risk factors for presbycusis, differing from commonly assumed causes.
• Despite the common belief in multiple contributing factors, only a few were statistically significant in this cohort.
• Further research may be needed to fully elucidate the complex etiology of age-related hearing loss.