Obesity and Risk of Hearing Loss in the Middle-aged and Elderly: a National Cohort of Chinese Adults

Overview

Journal BMC Public Health

Publisher Biomed Central

Specialty Public Health

Date 2023 Jun 1

PMID 37264346

Authors

Chen Zhang

Weiwei Wang

Xiaotian Chang

Siyan Zhan

Shengfeng Wang

Lei Feng

Yongfeng Song

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: The relationship between obesity and hearing loss among the middle-aged and older population remained unclear. Moreover, few studies have focused on the impact of gender on this association.

Methods: This cohort study extracted the data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study, a national survey of adults aged 45 years or over. Waist circumference was categorized into three groups: normal, pre-central obesity, and central obesity. We classified BMI into four categories: underweight, normal weight, overweight, and obese. The primary endpoint was the incidence of self-reported hearing loss.

Results: Of the 14,237 participants, 1972 incidents of hearing loss were identified during a median 6.9 years of follow-up. The cumulative incidence of hearing loss was 13.9% (95% CI 13.3% -14.4%). Our study showed that central obesity was significantly associated with hearing loss (HR 0.84, 95%CI 0.75-0.94), and this relationship was more prominent in males (HR 0.76, 95%CI 0.63-0.91). Among male participants, the underweight group was at the highest risk of hearing loss (HR 1.39, 95%CI 1.08-1.79). Compared with the normal weight group, the adjusted HR for hearing loss in the obese groups was 0.69 (95%CI 0.51-0.94) among men. Among female participants, only the overweight group had a lower risk of hearing loss than the normal weight group (HR 0.83, 95%CI 0.71-0.96).

Conclusions: Being overweight and obese were significantly associated with a decreased risk of hearing loss, whereas being underweight was associated with an increased risk of hearing loss.

Citing Articles

Predictors of hearing screening among residents of Saudi Arabia at primary healthcare settings in Riyadh: useful insights from a cross-sectional survey.

Alshdoukhi I, Shubair M, El-Metwally A, Alhazzaa R, Fatani F, Alshehri A BMC Public Health. 2025; 25(1):756.

PMID: 39994626 PMC: 11854117. DOI: 10.1186/s12889-025-21769-6.

Association of mixed polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons exposure with hearing loss and the mediating role of blood cell markers of inflammation in U.S. adults.

Shen P, Hu D, Shen M, Du T, Zhao L, Han M Front Public Health. 2024; 12:1410601.

PMID: 39664550 PMC: 11631931. DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1410601.

References

Kim S, Won Y, Kim M, Baek Y, Oh I, Yeo S . Relationship between obesity and hearing loss. Acta Otolaryngol. 2016; 136(10):1046-50. DOI: 10.1080/00016489.2016.1179787. View

Curhan S, Eavey R, Wang M, Stampfer M, Curhan G . Body mass index, waist circumference, physical activity, and risk of hearing loss in women. Am J Med. 2013; 126(12):1142.e1-8. PMC: 3848606. DOI: 10.1016/j.amjmed.2013.04.026. View

Chun H, Ali Z, Kojima Y, Kundu R, Sheikh A, Agrawal R . Apelin signaling antagonizes Ang II effects in mouse models of atherosclerosis. J Clin Invest. 2008; 118(10):3343-54. PMC: 2525695. DOI: 10.1172/JCI34871. View

Meyer S, van der Meer P, van Deursen V, Jaarsma T, Van Veldhuisen D, van der Wal M . Neurohormonal and clinical sex differences in heart failure. Eur Heart J. 2013; 34(32):2538-47. DOI: 10.1093/eurheartj/eht152. View

Zhang L, Yang J, Liao Z, Zhao X, Hu X, Zhu W . Association between Diabetes and Cognitive Function among People over 45 Years Old in China: A Cross-Sectional Study. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2019; 16(7). PMC: 6479487. DOI: 10.3390/ijerph16071294. View

Diao M, Sun J, Jiang T, Tian F, Jia Z, Liu Y . Comparison between self-reported hearing and measured hearing thresholds of the elderly in China. Ear Hear. 2014; 35(5):e228-32. DOI: 10.1097/AUD.0000000000000050. View

Jung D, Jang J, Lee K . Is Body Mass Index Associated With the Development of Age-Related Hearing Impairment in Koreans? The Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2009-2012. Clin Exp Otorhinolaryngol. 2016; 9(2):123-30. PMC: 4881314. DOI: 10.21053/ceo.2015.00955. View

Ferrite S, Santana V, Marshall S . Validity of self-reported hearing loss in adults: performance of three single questions. Rev Saude Publica. 2011; 45(5):824-30. DOI: 10.1590/s0034-89102011005000050. View

Ouchi N, Parker J, Lugus J, Walsh K . Adipokines in inflammation and metabolic disease. Nat Rev Immunol. 2011; 11(2):85-97. PMC: 3518031. DOI: 10.1038/nri2921. View

10.

Gupta S, Eavey R, Wang M, Curhan S, Curhan G . Type 2 diabetes and the risk of incident hearing loss. Diabetologia. 2018; 62(2):281-285. PMC: 6494103. DOI: 10.1007/s00125-018-4766-0. View

11.

Kenchaiah S, Pocock S, Wang D, Finn P, Zornoff L, Skali H . Body mass index and prognosis in patients with chronic heart failure: insights from the Candesartan in Heart failure: Assessment of Reduction in Mortality and morbidity (CHARM) program. Circulation. 2007; 116(6):627-36. DOI: 10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.106.679779. View

12.

Biasucci L, Graziani F, Rizzello V, Liuzzo G, Guidone C, De Caterina A . Paradoxical preservation of vascular function in severe obesity. Am J Med. 2010; 123(8):727-34. DOI: 10.1016/j.amjmed.2010.02.016. View

13.

Pan X, Wang L, Pan A . Epidemiology and determinants of obesity in China. Lancet Diabetes Endocrinol. 2021; 9(6):373-392. DOI: 10.1016/S2213-8587(21)00045-0. View

14.

Gomez M, Hwang S, Sobotova L, Stark A, May J . A comparison of self-reported hearing loss and audiometry in a cohort of New York farmers. J Speech Lang Hear Res. 2002; 44(6):1201-8. DOI: 10.1044/1092-4388(2001/093). View

15.

Puga A, Pajares M, Varela-Moreiras G, Partearroyo T . Interplay between Nutrition and Hearing Loss: State of Art. Nutrients. 2018; 11(1). PMC: 6356655. DOI: 10.3390/nu11010035. View

16.

Shargorodsky J, Curhan S, Eavey R, Curhan G . A prospective study of cardiovascular risk factors and incident hearing loss in men. Laryngoscope. 2010; 120(9):1887-91. PMC: 3968532. DOI: 10.1002/lary.21039. View

17.

Lalwani A, Katz K, Liu Y, Kim S, Weitzman M . Obesity is associated with sensorineural hearing loss in adolescents. Laryngoscope. 2013; 123(12):3178-84. DOI: 10.1002/lary.24244. View

18.

Sindhusake D, Mitchell P, Newall P, Golding M, Rochtchina E, Rubin G . Prevalence and characteristics of tinnitus in older adults: the Blue Mountains Hearing Study. Int J Audiol. 2003; 42(5):289-94. DOI: 10.3109/14992020309078348. View

19.

Peng Y, Chen F, Huang F, Xia T, Huang B, Chai H . Body Composition and Mortality in Coronary Artery Disease With Mild Renal Insufficiency in Chinese Patients. J Ren Nutr. 2017; 27(3):187-193. DOI: 10.1053/j.jrn.2017.01.018. View

20.

Emmett S, Schmitz J, Karna S, Khatry S, Wu L, LeClerq S . Early childhood undernutrition increases risk of hearing loss in young adulthood in rural Nepal. Am J Clin Nutr. 2018; 107(2):268-277. PMC: 6669330. DOI: 10.1093/ajcn/nqx022. View