Tinnitus and 3-Year Change in Audiometric Hearing Thresholds.
Sharon G Curhan, Christopher Halpin, Molin Wang and 2 others
PMID 33577220WHAT IT FOUND
Persistent tinnitus was linked to greater risk of hearing getting worse over 3 years, including in women whose baseline hearing tests were normal.
Bothersome tinnitus showed stronger links. Ask about tinnitus and consider hearing surveillance.
Key findings
01Persistent tinnitus was associated with higher multivariable-adjusted odds of ≥5 dB hearing threshold elevation at multiple frequencies over 3 years.
02Bothersome tinnitus showed larger associations, including odds ratios of 2.97 for ≥5 dB and 2.79 for ≥10 dB elevation at 4 kHz.
03Risk was elevated even among women with clinically normal baseline hearing, defined as four-frequency PTA ≤25 dB HL.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The study observed associations, so it cannot show that tinnitus causes hearing threshold elevation. Tinnitus was self-reported, and there is no single agreed definition of tinnitus. The sample was female registered nurses, mostly middle-aged non-Hispanic white women, so results may not apply to other groups. Women with known ear disease, ototoxic exposure, head injury, stroke, or other conditions were excluded, and participants had relatively good reported hearing at baseline. Some associations were not clear at 0.5 kHz and for low-frequency averages in persistent tinnitus. The follow-up was 3 years, so longer-term change and the effect of monitoring were not tested.
Declared interests
The paper lists NIH extramural research support. Dr. S. Curhan serves as a consultant to Decibel Therapeutics. Dr. G. Curhan serves as a consultant to Decibel Therapeutics, AstraZeneca, Shire, Allena Pharmaceuticals, RenalGuard, Orfan Biotech, OM1, and Merck, and receives royalties from UpToDate.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that tinnitus causes hearing loss or that treating tinnitus will prevent hearing loss. This was an observational cohort study with 3 years of follow-up, and it did not test treatment or monitoring.