Folate Supplementation and Age-Related Hearing Loss
Authors: Robert A. Dobie
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (2007)

Editorials2 January 2007Folate Supplementation and Age-Related Hearing LossRobert A. Dobie, MDRobert A. Dobie, MDFrom University of California, Davis, Sacramento, California.Search for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-146-1-200701020-00011 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail Everyone knows that elderly people hear less well than young people and that men hear less well than women, albeit with considerable variability across individuals. Although noise, infection, head trauma, and ototoxic drugs cause some variation, most hearing loss in the developed world is simply “age-related.” In other words, nothing in the patient history or objective findings explains why a patient is hearing-impaired. Age-related hearing loss is sensorineural (it affects the inner ear rather than the outer or middle ear) and is associated with loss of hair cells and other cellular elements in the cochlea. Age-related threshold elevations (termed as ...References1. Karlsson KK, Harris JR, Svartengren M. Description and primary results from an audiometric study of male twins. Ear Hear. 1997;18:114-20. [PMID: 9099560] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar2. Gates GA, Couropmitree NN, Myers RH. Genetic associations in age-related hearing thresholds. Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 1999;125:654-9. [PMID: 10367922] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar3. American National Standards Institute. Determination of occupational noise exposure and estimation of noise-induced hearing impairment. Document no. ANSI S3.44-1996 (R2001). New York: Acoustical Society of America; 1996. Google Scholar4. Holmes AE, Niskar AS, Kieszak SM, Rubin C, Brody DJ. Mean and median hearing thresholds among children 6 to 19 years of age: the Third National Health And Nutrition Examination Survey, 1988 to 1994, United States. Ear Hear. 2004;25:397-402. [PMID: 15292779] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar5. Durga J, Verhoef P, Anteunis LJ, Schouten E, Kok FJ. Effects of folic acid supplementation on hearing in older adults. A randomized, controlled trial. Ann Intern Med. 2007;146:1-9. LinkGoogle Scholar6. Houston DK, Johnson MA, Nozza RJ, Gunter EW, Shea KJ, Cutler GM, et al. Age-related hearing loss, vitamin B-12, and folate in elderly women. Am J Clin Nutr. 1999;69:564-71. [PMID: 10075346] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar7. Durga J, Anteunis LJ, Schouten EG, Bots ML, Kok FJ, Verhoef P. Association of folate with hearing is dependent on the 5, 10-methylenetetrahdyrofolate reductase 677C→T mutation. Neurobiol Aging. 2006;27:482-9. [PMID: 16464657] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar8. James WP, Nelson M, Ralph A, Leather S. Socioeconomic determinants of health. The contribution of nutrition to inequalities in health. BMJ. 1997;314:1545-9. [PMID: 9183207] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar9. Lutman ME, Spencer HS. Occupational noise and demographic factors in hearing. Acta Otolaryngol Suppl. 1990;476:74-84. [PMID: 2087983] MedlineGoogle Scholar10. Sixt E, Rosenhall U. Presbyacusis related to socioeconomic factors and state of health. Scand Audiol. 1997;26:133-40. [PMID: 9309808] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar11. Seidman MD. Effects of dietary restriction and antioxidants on presbyacusis. Laryngoscope. 2000;110:727-38. [PMID: 10807352] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar12. Gates GA, Cobb JL, D'Agostino RB, Wolf PA. The relation of hearing in the elderly to the presence of cardiovascular disease and cardiovascular risk factors. Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 1993;119:156-61. [PMID: 8427676] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAuthors: Robert A. Dobie, MDAffiliations: From University of California, Davis, Sacramento, California.Disclosures: None disclosed.Corresponding Author: Robert A. Dobie, MD, Department of Otolaryngology, University of California, Davis, 2521 Stockton Boulevard, Suite 7200, Sacramento, CA 95817; e-mail, [email protected]edu. PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsSee AlsoEffects of Folic Acid Supplementation on Hearing in Older Adults Jane Durga , Petra Verhoef , Lucien J.C. Anteunis , Evert Schouten , and Frans J. Kok Metrics Cited byIntake of specific nutrients and foods and hearing level measured 13 years laterHealthy diets, healthy hearing: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1999–2002Medical Journal Watch: Context and Applications 2 January 2007Volume 146, Issue 1Page: 63-64KeywordsCellsDrugsElderlyFolic acidHead injuryHearingHearing levelSocioeconomic statusYoung adults ePublished: 2 January 2007 Issue Published: 2 January 2007 Copyright & PermissionsCopyright © 2007 by American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.PDF downloadLoading ...