Hutchinson Kathleen M, Alessio Helaine, Baiduc Rachael R
Miami University, Oxford, OH 45056, USA.
Am J Audiol. 2010 Jun;19(1):26-35. doi: 10.1044/1059-0889(2009/09-0009). Epub 2010 Jan 19.
A reduction in hearing sensitivity is often considered to be a normal age-related change. Recent studies have revisited prior ways of thinking about sensory changes over time, uncovering health variables other than age that play a significant role in sensory changes.
In this cross-sectional study, cardiovascular (CV) health, pure-tone thresholds at 1000 to 4000 Hz, and distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs), with and without contralateral noise, were measured in 101 participants age 10-78 years.
Persons in the "old" age category (49-78 years) had worse pure-tone hearing sensitivity and DPOAEs than persons in the younger age categories (p < .05), affirming an age effect. Although hearing decline occurred in all persons in all CV fitness categories of every age group, those with low CV fitness in the old age group had significantly worse pure-tone hearing at 2000 and 4000 Hz (p <.05). Otoacoustic emission measurements were better for the old high-fit group but not significantly influenced by CV fitness level across age groups.
Results of the current study elucidate the potentially positive impact of CV health on hearing sensitivity over time. This finding was particularly robust among older adults.
听力敏感度下降通常被认为是与年龄相关的正常变化。最近的研究重新审视了以往对随时间变化的感觉变化的思考方式，发现了除年龄之外在感觉变化中起重要作用的健康变量。
在这项横断面研究中，对101名年龄在10至78岁的参与者测量了心血管（CV）健康状况、1000至4000赫兹的纯音阈值以及有无对侧噪声情况下的畸变产物耳声发射（DPOAE）。
“老年”组（49至78岁）的纯音听力敏感度和DPOAE比年轻组更差（p < 0.05），证实了年龄效应。尽管每个年龄组所有心血管健康状况类别中的所有人都出现了听力下降，但老年组中心血管健康状况不佳的人在2000和4000赫兹处的纯音听力明显更差（p < 0.05）。耳声发射测量结果在老年高健康组中更好，但在各年龄组中不受心血管健康水平的显著影响。
本研究结果阐明了心血管健康随时间推移对听力敏感度的潜在积极影响。这一发现在老年人中尤为显著。
