Hearing in advanced age. A study of presbyacusis in 85-, 88- and 90-year-old people

Hearing in elderly people was investigated in an epidemiological longitudinal study (H70) encompassing a cohort representative of an urban Swedish population born in 1901-02. The participants in the study were followed audiometrically over a 20-year period from 70 to 90 years of age. This study focused on hearing and its decline during the later time span in which the participants were tested at the age of 85, 88 and 90 years. The results revealed that hearing loss in advanced age progressed only slightly in both men and women. The annual hearing threshold decline was about twice as large in the eighth decade of life as compared with the ninth. Hearing function was similar in the respondents tested at the out-patient clinic and in those tested at home. There were no consistent indications that survivors to a great age showed better hearing at entry to the study at 70 years of age. Some gender differences were found and are discussed.