Prospective Study of Gastroesophageal Reflux, Use of Proton Pump Inhibitors and H2-Receptor Antagonists, and Risk of Hearing Loss.

The study population was predominantly non-Hispanic white women, so the results may not apply to other groups. Reflux symptoms, medication use, and hearing loss were all self-reported, not confirmed by audiometry. The high overlap between reflux symptom frequency and duration made it impossible to tell whether frequency, duration, or both were independently associated with hearing loss. The study observed reported reflux and medication use over time rather than assigning treatment, so it cannot separate the effect of reflux symptoms from the medicines used for them. Residual confounding may remain despite adjustment for many known risk factors.

The authors declared no competing interests.

Do not conclude that reflux symptoms cause hearing loss or that reflux medicines prevent or cause hearing loss. The study observed self-reported reflux symptoms and medication use over time, and after reflux symptoms were taken into account neither proton pump inhibitors nor H2-receptor antagonists were significantly associated with hearing loss.