Obesity Linked to Higher Risk of Hearing Loss in Women

It turns out that hearing loss may be associated with obesity in women. Researchers have discovered that women with a higher body mass index (BMI) and a larger waist circumference were more likely to suffer a higher risk of hearing loss. The findings reveal the importance of keeping up a higher level of physical activity--especially as we age.

About 360 million people have disabling hearing loss, a condition that is often considered to be an unavoidable side effect of aging. Yet it turns out that there may now be ways to offset this hearing loss. A higher level of physical activity could help mitigate its impacts.

In order to assess how obesity might impact hearing, the researchers used data from 68,421 women in the Nurses' Health Study II who were followed from 1989 to 2009. They examined information on BMI, waist circumference, physical activity and self-reported hearing loss.

"We often think of hearing loss as an inevitable part of the aging process, but these findings provide evidence that potentially modifiable risk factors, such as maintaining a healthy weight and staying physically active, may help in the prevention of hearing loss or delay its progression," said Sharon Curhan, one of the researchers, in a news release.

In the end, the researchers found that women with a BMI of 30 to 34 had a relative risk for hearing loss that was 17 percent higher, and with a BMI of 40 or more had a relative risk that was 25 percent higher, when compared with those with a BMI of less than 25. The researchers found that for women with a waist circumference of 80 to 88 cm, the relative risk for hearing loss was 11 percent higher and with waist circumference that was even greater, the risk was 27 percent higher, when compared with women with a waist circumference less than 71 cm.

What is perhaps more interesting is the fact that increased physical activity seemed to lower the risk of hearing loss. Women who were most physically active had a 17 percent lower risk of hearing loss compared with women who were least physically active.

The findings reveal that hearing loss may not be an inevitable part of aging. Instead, a healthy diet and physical exercise would help lower the risk of hearing loss.

The findings are published in The American Journal of Medicine.