Hearing In HIV+ Adults Affected By Antiretroviral Therapy

Those infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV+) have lower- and higher- frequency hearing than those without an HIV infection, according to recent findings published online in JAMA Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery.

Researchers found that the relationship between having HIV and hearing loss was oftentimes connected to highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), which has been investigated thoroughly via the background of the study.

For the study, researchers evaluated pure-tone hearing thresholds among 262 men (117 HIV+) and 134 women (105 HIV+). The men involved in the study were an average of 57 years old while the women were an average of 48 years old.

Findings revealed that high-frequency pure-tone average (HPTA) and low frequency (LPTA) were significantly higher (poorer hearing) among adults who were HIV+ when compared with HIV- adults for the better ear. These results were also independent of long-term exposure to antiretroviral medications that are current with CD4+ cell count and HIV viral load.

"To our knowledge, this is the first study to demonstrate that HIV+ individuals have poorer hearing across the frequency range after many other factors known to affect hearing have been controlled for," researchers concluded.

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