Interplay between Nutrition and Hearing Loss: State of Art

Abstract

Hearing loss has been recently ranked as the fifth leading cause of years lived with disability, ahead of many other chronic diseases such as diabetes, dementia, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Moreover, according to the World Health Organization, moderate-to-profound hearing loss affects about 466 million people worldwide. Its incidence varies in each population segment, affecting approximately 10% of children and increasing to 30% of the population over 65 years. However, hearing loss receives still very limited research funding and public awareness. This sensory impairment is caused by genetic and environmental factors, and among the latter, the nutritional status has acquired relevance due its association to hearing loss detected in recent epidemiological studies. Several experimental models have proved that the onset and progression of hearing loss are closely linked to the availability of nutrients and their metabolism. Here, we have reviewed studies focused on nutrient effects on auditory function. These studies support the potential of nutritional therapy for the protection against hearing loss progression, which is especially relevant to the aging process and related quality of life.

Relationship between Inflammatory Food Consumption and Age-Related Hearing Loss in a Prospective Observational Cohort: Results from the Salus in Apulia Study

“…Cardiovascular diseases have been proposed as a potential risk factor for ARHL, and a few studies have analyzed the association between cardiovascular-related potential risk factors and hearing capacity, including hypertension, diabetes mellitus, smoking history, and coronary heart disease [38]. Therefore, it is reasonable to hypothesize that diets rich in sugar, sugary fruit juices and caloric drinks could also increase the risk of developing ARHL [17]. On the other hand, the relationship between carbohydrate consumption and ARHL is thought to be related not to carbohydrates themselves, but to serum triglyceride levels.…”

“…Anti-inflammatory foods rich in Vitamin A, C, and E like vegetables, fresh fruits and nuts has been considered to be the most important foods protective of ARHL [16]. Likewise, pro-inflammatory foods, like sugar-rich juices, desserts and alcoholic drinks have been shown to increase the risk of onset of ARHL [17]. The relationship between inflammation processes and age-related hearing loss is well depicted in the biology of inner ear damage both in animal models and in population studies [5,18].…”

Human induced pluripotent stem cells and CRISPR/Cas-mediated targeted genome editing: Platforms to tackle sensorineural hearing loss

“…Hearing loss (HL) is the world's most common sensory deficit, currently disabling nearly 470 million people. 1 The World Health Organization estimates that this number will increase to 900 million by 2050 (https://www.who.int/ news-room/fact-sheets/detail/deafness-and-hearing-loss). In the United States alone, it is estimated that more than 48 million people, or nearly 20% of the population, have disabling bilateral or unilateral HL.…”

Can Nutritional Intervention for Obesity and Comorbidities Slow Down Age-Related Hearing Impairment?

“…Pathologically, ARHI is characterized by progressive deterioration of hearing resulting from degeneration of the cochlea and/or the central auditory pathway [11,12]. ARHI involves an interplay between environmental, medical, genetic, and nutritional factors [12,13,14]. Our previous study in 2009 identified an association between central obesity and ARHI [15].…”