Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2020 Feb 14;75(3):561-566.
doi: 10.1093/gerona/glz166.

The Contribution of Ototoxic Medications to Hearing Loss Among Older Adults

Affiliations

The Contribution of Ototoxic Medications to Hearing Loss Among Older Adults

Yoonmee Joo et al. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. .

Abstract

Background: Ototoxicity may interact with the effects of aging, leading to a more severe hearing loss than that associated with age alone. The purpose of this study was to explore the associations between ototoxic medication use and the incidence and progression of hearing loss in older adults with a population-based longitudinal study.

Methods: Epidemiology of Hearing Loss Study participants (n = 3,753) were examined. Medication use was assessed using a standardized questionnaire by the examiners at each examination every 5 year. The ototoxic medications include loop diuretics, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, antibiotics, chemotherapeutic agents, quinine, and acetaminophen in this study. Generalized estimating equations model was used as a proportional hazard discrete time analysis.

Results: Number of ototoxic medications was associated with the risk of developing hearing loss during the 10-year follow-up period (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.15, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.06, 1.25) after adjusting for age, sex, smoking, and body mass index. Loop diuretics (HR = 1.40, 95% CI = 1.05, 1.87) were associated with the 10-year incidence of hearing loss. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (HR = 1.45, 95% CI = 1.22, 1.72) and loop diuretics (HR = 1.33 95% CI = 1.08, 1.63) were associated with risk of progressive hearing loss over 10 years.

Conclusion: These ototoxic medications are commonly used in older adults and should be considered as potentially modifiable contributors to the incidence and severity of age-related hearing loss.

Keywords: Hearing loss; Medication; Risk factors.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1

Similar articles

Cited by

References

    1. Van Eyken E, Van Camp G, Van Laer L. The complexity of age-related hearing impairment: contributing environmental and genetic factors. Audiol Neurootol. 2007;12:345–358. doi: 10.1159/000106478 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Bielefeld EC, Tanaka C, Chen GD, Henderson D. Age-related hearing loss: is it a preventable condition? Hear Res. 2010;264:98–107. doi: 10.1016/j.heares.2009.09.001 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. National Institute on Deafness and other Communication Disorders (NIDCD). Age-related hearing loss 2016; https://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/age-related-hearing-loss. Accessed March, 23, 2018.
    1. Peterson M. Physical aspects of aging: is there such a thing as ‘normal’? Geriatrics. 1994;49:45–49; quiz 50. - PubMed
    1. Pyykko I, Toppila E, Zou J, Kentala E. Individual susceptibility to noise-induced hearing loss. Audiol Med. 2007;5:41–53. doi: 10.1080/16513860601175998

Publication types