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

Abstract

Age related hearing loss (ARHL) affects about one third of the elderly population. It is suggested that the senescence of the hair cells could be modulated by inflammation. Thus, intake of anti- and pro-inflammatory foods is of high interest. Methods: From the MICOL study population, 734 participants were selected that participated in the 2013 to 2018 examination including hearing ability and from which past data collected in 2005/2008 was available. ARHL status was determined and compared cross-sectionally and retrospectively according to clinical and lifestyle data including food and micronutrient intake. Results: ARHL status was associated with higher age but not with education, smoking, relative weight (BMI), and clinical-chemical blood markers in the crossectional and retrospective analyses. Higher intake of fruit juices among ARHL-participants was seen cross-sectionally, and of sugary foods, high-caloric drinks, beer, and spirits retrospectively. No difference was found for the other 26 food groups and for dietary micronutrients with the exception of past vitamin A, which was higher among normal hearing subjects. Conclusions: Pro-inflammatory foods with a high-sugar content and also beer and spirits were found to be assocated with positive ARHL-status, but not anti-inflammatory foods. Diet could be a candidate for lifestyle advice for the prevention of ARHL.

Associations between Age-Related Hearing Loss and DietaryAssessment Using Data from Korean National Health andNutrition Examination Survey

“…Seeds and nuts, fruits, and seaweed have considered anti-inflammatory food ingredients [ 38 , 44 , 45 , 46 ]. There is growing acceptance that inflammation could play a role in ARHL [ 16 , 19 , 32 , 33 ].…”

“…Together, these results suggest that consuming anti-inflammatory foods could be important for ameliorating ARHL. However, an observational cohort study found that pro-inflammatory foods like sugars and alcohol were associated with ARHL, but not anti-inflammatory foods [ 38 ]. Contrary to previous studies, our data found that higher consumption of seeds and nuts, fruits, and seaweed were positively associated with better PTAs at 4FA and HF, but not pro-inflammatory foods.…”

“…However, the utility of dietary supplements to preserve hearing remains to be determined. Some prospective studies have not shown any significant effect of dietary vitamins or anti-inflammatory foods in the prevention of ARHL [ 37 , 38 ].…”

Synergistic effect of smoking on age-related hearing loss in patients with diabetes

“…It has also been reported that C-reactive protein, a systemic inflammation marker, is increased in current smokers compared to ex-smokers and those who have never smoked 36 , 37 . Moreover, a recent study has suggested that inflammatory food consumption is closely related to the incidence of ARHL 38 . Given that chronic inflammation increases the risk of cardiovascular events, as supported by the results of the JUPITER trial, smoking and diabetes may cause vascular pathologies, such as atherosclerosis 39 .…”

Activity Energy Expenditure Predicts Clinical Average Levels of Physical Activity in Older Population: Results from Salus in Apulia Study

“…Our research included individuals from the Salus in Apulia Study (previous Great Age Study), an ongoing population-based prospective cohort comprising of 2472 individuals aged 65 years old or older and residents in Castellana Grotte, a town located near Bari, Puglia, in the southeast of Italy. The Salus in Apulia Study (Great Age Study) focused on the sequence of lifestyle including diet, frailty, and other age-related impairments and age-related disease outcomes [ 28 , 29 ]. The Institutional Review Board of the National Institute of Gastroenterology “S.…”