Patterns of hearing changes in women and men from denarians to nonagenarians

Abstract

Background: Hearing loss needs to be diagnosed and treated early, especially in older individuals, since presbycusis potentially increases the risk of depression and dementia. However, standard data on hearing thresholds across the life-span in Japanese individuals are lacking.Methods: In a retrospective consecutive sample of 10681 native-Japanese speakers (37.3% men; 10-99 years; left-right hearing threshold difference of < 15 dB for all tested pure tones; free of external, middle, or inner ear disease), we determined standard age-decade and sex-specific pure-tone air-conduction (125, 250, 500, 1000, 2000, 4000, and 8000 Hz) hearing threshold norms. The main outcome measures were pure-tone averages for both ears by age-decade and sex.Findings: For participants in their 20s, hearing thresholds at higher frequencies ( > 10 0 0 Hz) were significantly worse in men than in women. For participants ≥70 years, hearing thresholds at low frequencies were higher in women. Hearing thresholds at 10 0 0, 20 0 0, and 40 0 0 Hz tended to deteriorate, starting in the teenage years through the 50s, with some decades showing significantly worse decline. Sex differences were absent in the youngest and oldest groups.Interpretation: Standard age-and sex-specific audiometric data reported here for Japanese individuals over nine age-decades are based on the largest dataset analyzed to date. While hearing thresholds of men and women in the very young and the very old age groups were indistinguishable in their cohorts, patterns of hearing changes for other age cohorts differed by direction and sex.

The Impact of COVID-19 Confinement on Tinnitus and Hearing Loss in Older Adults: Data From the LOST in Lombardia Study

“…In fact, our data on hearing loss indicated that the deterioration from the previous year was more evident in men. This is consistent with the worsening of the disorder with age in men more than women ( 20 , 21 ).…”

Audiometric Characteristics of Presbycusis: A Hospital-Based Study

“…11 Wang & Puel noted sharply sloping curve in high frequency in males compared to gradual slope in females. 12 A study by Wasana K et al reported slow age-related decline with an audiogram showing deterioration at 1, 2 and 4 kHz with a typical moderately sloping curve (mechanical cochlear conductive) 13 which was the most predominant curve in this study as well. In a Nigerian study published in 2013, Sogebi OA et al reported a predominance of serial pattern with a flat loss involving both speech and higher frequencies.…”

“…In contrast, study by Demeester K et al revealed more hearing loss in females compared to males, with a flat curve of the audiogram, 15 while Wasano K et al did not report any significant gender difference in youngest and oldest age groups. 13 Audiogram findings are critical in predicting inner ear degeneration and hence current study is of significant importance. 17…”

Prevalence of Hearing Impairment by Age: 2nd to 10th Decades of Life

“…In our previous study, we built and analyzed the largest database to date of hearing thresholds and other audiometric data of Japanese people aged 10–90 years [ 17 ]. These data were obtained through a retrospective clinical chart cross-sectional study and reported standard age- and gender-specific audiometric data [ 17 ]. To avoid bias from outliers, we excluded data of patients who had hearing thresholds that deviated from the population means.…”