Moderate Drinking May Help Protect Hearing

Smoking and body mass index are risk factors in the development of age-related hearing loss, but alcohol has a protective effect, Dutch researchers say.

Erik Fransen, part of Guy Van Camp’s research team at the University of Antwerp, found that smoking, being overweight and occupational noise are risk factors in the most common type of hearing loss.

However, the study published online in Springer’s Journal of the Association for Research in Otolaryngology, found moderate alcohol consumption — at least one drink a week, one glass of wine, spirit or beer — was seen to have a protective effect. The effect of heavy drinking was not investigated.

This European study of 4,083 people ages 53 to 67 involved nine audiological centers in seven countries. Participants filled out a questionnaire on their exposure to potential environmental risk factors and their medical history. Their hearing was also tested.

Hearing loss has always been considered an inevitable part of aging, but more and more studies seem to indicate this is not necessarily true, Fransen said in a statement. Apparently a healthy lifestyle can be beneficial for hearing conservation at higher ages.

The findings were also presented at the International Society of Audiology Congress in Hong Kong.