The effect of inflammation in the progression of age-related hearing loss

Abstract

Age-related hearing loss (ARHL) is the most common sensory deficit among older adults, with significant impact on communication, well-being and quality of life. The pathology is currently irreversible, with limited understanding of the biological mechanisms influencing it. There is evidence that a state of low-grade chronic inflammation associated with ageing is a key contributor to the progression of age-related diseases. The study investigates whether inflammation drives the ARHL pathology, as it may explain some of the variability observed in ARHL and may be the mechanism by which some chronic diseases and lifestyle factors contribute to ARHL.

The research consists of an exploration of the current literature on the mechanisms of ARHL, preliminary work with mouse model of ARHL, cross-sectional analysis of data and the first year of a three-year longitudinal study that characterizes inflammatory status among older adults to predict the progression of ARHL. The study also investigates the ability of extended high frequency audiometry and otoacoustic emission (OAE) to detect early decline in hearing function. Our findings demonstrate that high inflammatory status is associated with poor hearing in older adults and otoacoustic emissions can detect early decline in hearing function.

The findings from this research underscore the importance of monitoring and the control of inflammation in the elderly to limit the progression of ARHL and other age-related diseases. It also suggests a stratified medicine approach in the management of age-related hearing loss that takes into account individual aetiology and risk factors, and the use of OAE for screening and monitoring hearing loss in older adults. This body of work provides pilot data for a large-scale study that can further define the association between inflammation and age-related hearing loss.

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