Smokers are at a greater risk of hearing loss
Smokers are at a greater risk of hearing loss,
according to a study. The research was conducted on over 50,000
participants over a span of eight years. Researchers analyzed data from
annual health checkups, which included audio testing performed by a technician
and a health-related lifestyle questionnaire completed by each participant.
They examined the effects of smoking status (current,
former, and never smokers), the number of cigarettes smoked per day, and the
duration of smoking cessation on the extent of hearing loss.
Even after adjusting for factors including
occupational noise exposure, researchers noted a 1.2 to 1.6 increased risk of
hearing loss among current smokers compared with never smokers.
While the association between smoking and
high-frequency hearing loss was stronger than that of low-frequency hearing
loss, the risk of both high- and low-frequency hearing loss increased with
cigarette consumption. The increased risk of hearing loss decreased within 5
years after quitting smoking.
“With a large sample size, long follow-up period, and
objective assessment of hearing loss, our study provides strong evidence that
smoking is an independent risk factor of hearing loss,” said the study’s lead
author Dr. Huanhuan Hu of Japan’s National Center for Global Health and
Medicine.
“These results provide strong evidence to support that
smoking is a causal factor for hearing loss and emphasize the need for tobacco
control to prevent or delay the development of hearing loss.”
The study has been published in the journal Nicotine
and Tobacco Research.
15.03.2018
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