IMPORTANCE As the American population ages, effective healthcare planning requires understanding changes in hearing loss prevalence. OBJECTIVE Determine if age- and sex-specific prevalence of adult hearing loss changed during the past decade. DESIGN Analysis of 2011–2012 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) audiometric data compared to NHANES 1999–2004. NHANES is a cross-sectional, nationally-representative interview and examination survey of the civilian, non-institutionalized population. PARTICIPANTS A stratified random sample of 3,831 adults aged 20–69 years INTERVENTIONS Audiometry and questionnaires MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Speech-frequency hearing impairment (HI) defined by pure-tone average (PTA) of thresholds across 0.5–1–2–4 kHz greater than 25 dB hearing level (HL); high-frequency HI defined by PTA across 3–4–6 kHz >25 dB HL. Logistic regression was used to examine unadjusted, age- and sex-adjusted, and multivariable-adjusted associations with demographic, noise exposure, and cardiovascular risk factors. RESULTS The 2011–2012 unadjusted adult prevalence of unilateral and bilateral speech-frequency HI was 14.1%, compared to 16% for 1999–2004; after age- and sex-adjustment, the difference was significant, odds ratio (OR)=0.70 (95% confidence interval [95% CI]: 0.56–0.86). Men had nearly twice the prevalence of speech-frequency HI, 18.6% (17.8 million), compared to women, 9.6% (9.7 million). For 60–69 year-olds, speech-frequency HI prevalence was 39.3% (95% CI: 30.7%–48.7%). In multivariable analyses for bilateral speech-frequency HI, age was the major risk factor; however, men, non-Hispanic (NH) white and NH Asian race, lower educational attainment, and heavy use of firearms all had significant associations. Additional associations for high-frequency HI were Mexican-American and Other Hispanic race/ethnicity and the combination of loud and very loud noise exposure occupationally and outside of work, OR=2.4 (95% CI: 1.4–4.2). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE Adult hearing loss is common and strongly associated with age and other demographic factors (sex, race/ethnicity, education). Noise exposure, which is preventable, was less strongly associated. Cardiovascular risk factors – heavy smoking, hypertension, and diabetes – were significant only in unadjusted analyses. Age- and sex-specific HI prevalence continues to decline. Despite the benefit of delayed onset of HI, hearing healthcare needs will increase as the U.S. population grows and ages.

These results suggest that vitamin E and C supplements may protect against vascular dementia and may improve cognitive function in late life.

We examined vitamin E and vitamin C supplement use in relation to mortality risk and whether vitamin C enhanced the effects of vitamin E in 11,178 persons aged 67-105 y who participated in the Established Populations for Epidemiologic Studies of the Elderly in 1984-1993. Participants were asked to report all nonprescription drugs currently used, including vitamin supplements. Persons were defined as users of these supplements if they reported individual vitamin E and/or vitamin C use, not part of a multivitamin. During the follow-up period there were 3490 deaths. Use of vitamin E reduced the risk of all-cause mortality [relative risk (RR) = 0.66; 95% CI: 0.53, 0.83] and risk of coronary disease mortality (RR = 0.53; 95% CI: 0.34, 0.84). Use of vitamin E at two points in time was also associated with reduced risk of total mortality compared with that in persons who did not use any vitamin supplements. Effects were strongest for coronary heart disease mortality (RR = 0.37; 95% CI: 0.15, 0.90). The RR for cancer mortality was 0.41 (95% CI: 0.15, 1.08). Simultaneous use of vitamins E and C was associated with a lower risk of total mortality (RR = 0.58; 95% CI: 0.42, 0.79) and coronary mortality (RR = 0.47; 95% CI: 0.25, 0.87). Adjustment for alcohol use, smoking history, aspirin use, and medical conditions did not substantially alter these findings. These findings are consistent with those for younger persons and suggest protective effects of vitamin E supplements in the elderly.

The authors examined body mass index at middle age, body mass index in old age, and weight change between age 50 years and old age in relation to mortality in old age. The study population from the Established Populations for Epidemiologic Studies of the Elderly consisted of 6,387 whites age 70 years or older who experienced 2,650 deaths during the period 1982-1987. Mortality risk was highest for persons in the heaviest quintile of body mass index at age 50 (men, relative risk (RR) = 1.33, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.13-1.57; women, RR = 1.31, 95% CI 1.12-1.53) compared with persons in the middle quintile. This pattern was reversed for body mass index in old age, with persons in the lowest quintile having the highest mortality risk (men, RR = 1.40, 95% CI 1.19-1.65; women, RR = 1.38, 95% CI 1.17-1.63) relative to persons in the middle quintile. This reversal was explained, in part, by weight change. Compared with persons with stable weight, those who lost 10 percent or more of body weight between age 50 and old age had the highest risk of mortality (men, RR = 1.69, 95% CI 1.45-1.97; women, RR = 1.62, 95% CI 1.38-1.90). Exclusion of participants who lost 10 percent or more of their weight and adjustment for health status eliminated the higher risk of death associated with low weight. The inverse association of weight and mortality in old age appears to reflect illness-related weight loss from heavier weight in middle-age. Weight history may be critical to understanding weight and mortality relations in old age.