Consumption of omega-3 fatty acids and fish and risk of age-related hearing loss.
BACKGROUND
Identification of modifiable risk factors that could prevent or slow the development of age-related hearing loss (presbycusis) would be valuable. Dietary polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) intake may be related to age-related hearing loss.


OBJECTIVE
We aimed to determine the association between dietary intakes of omega-3 (n-3) PUFAs and fish and the risk of presbycusis.


METHODS
The Blue Mountains Hearing Study is a population-based survey of age-related hearing loss (1997-1999 to 2002-2004). We collected dietary data by using a semiquantitative food-frequency questionnaire and calculated PUFA and fish intakes. In 2956 participants (aged > or =50 y), we measured presbycusis, which we defined as the pure-tone average of frequencies 0.5, 1.0, 2.0, and 4.0 kHz >25 decibels of hearing loss.


RESULTS
There was an inverse association between total n-3 PUFA intake and prevalent hearing loss [odds ratio (OR) per SD increase in energy-adjusted n-3 PUFAs: 0.89; 95% CI: 0.81, 0.99]. There was an inverse association between long-chain n-3 PUFAs and incident hearing loss (OR per SD increase in long-chain n-3 PUFAs: 0.76; 95% CI: 0.60, 0.97). Participants who had > or =2 servings of fish/wk compared with participants who had <1 serving of fish/wk had a significantly reduced risk (42%) of developing presbycusis at follow-up (multivariate-adjusted OR: 0.58; 95% CI: 0.35, 0.95). There was an association between consumption of > or =1 to <2 servings/wk of fish and a reduced risk of a progression of hearing loss (OR: 0.53; 95% CI: 0.32, 0.88).


CONCLUSIONS
There was an inverse association between higher intakes of long-chain n-3 PUFAs and regular weekly consumption of fish and hearing loss. Dietary intervention with n-3 PUFAs could prevent or delay the development of age-related hearing loss.
Centre for Vision Research, Department of Ophthalmology, and Westmead Millennium Institute, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
Bamini
B
Gopinath
Victoria M
VM
Flood
Elena
E
Rochtchina
Catherine M
CM
McMahon
Paul
P
Mitchell
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000818:Animals; D004032:Diet; D004034:Diet Surveys; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3 / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005260:Female; D005399:Fishes; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011304:Presbycusis / Q000517:prevention & control*; D012307:Risk Factors; D017747:Seafood; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
D004041:Dietary Fats; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3