Relationship between age-related hearing loss and alcohol consumption in a Japanese population

Age-related hearing loss has a multifactorial pathogenesis, and the influence of alcohol consumption on it is controversial. A cross-sectional study investigated the association between age-related hearing loss and alcohol consumption by using cohort data from Tohoku Medical Megabank Project, including self-reported questionnaires and pure-tone audiometry thresholds (500, 1000, 2000, and 4000 Hz). aA of > 25 dB in the better ear.
An analysis included 5,219 men and 9,266 women, aged 50-79 y. The results indicated that daily alcohol consumption levels of 60-80 and ≥ 80 g were significantly associated with increased odds of ARHL at 4,000 Hz in men (odds ratio [OR] 1.42; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.05-1.94; OR 1.55; 95% CI 1.12-2.16; respectively); consumption of 10-20 g was significantly associated with reduced odds of age-related hearing loss at 4,000 Hz in women (OR 0.81; 95% CI 0.68-0.96). Assessment of drinking-related single nucleotide polymorphisms suggested that the effect of alcohol on age-related hearing loss may differ by genotype.
The study findings suggest a sex-specific association between alcohol consumption and age-related hearing loss ; heavy drinking is a potential risk factor in men, whereas moderate drinking may have a protective effect in women.
Source: Takahashi H, Suzuki J, Motoike IN, Sakurai M, Kobayashi Y, Watarai G, Tozuka H, Kogure M, Kawase T, Honkura Y, Ikeda R, Kinoshita K, Nakaya N, Obara T, Hozawa A, Kuriyama S, Fuse N, Yamamoto M, Katori Y. Relationship between age-related hearing loss and alcohol consumption in a Japanese population. Sci Rep. 2025 Dec 2.