title: Fish and fatty acid consumption and the risk of hearing loss in women.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Acquired hearing loss is common and often disabling, yet limited prospective data exist on potentially modifiable risk factors. Evidence suggests that higher intake of fish and long-chain omega-3 (n-3) polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) may be associated with a lower risk of hearing loss, but prospective information on these relations is limited.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We prospectively examined the independent associations between consumption of total and specific types of fish, long-chain omega-3 PUFAs, and self-reported hearing loss in women.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data were from the Nurses' Health Study II, a prospective cohort study. The independent associations between consumption of fish and long-chain omega-3 PUFAs and self-reported hearing loss were examined in 65,215 women followed from 1991 to 2009. Baseline and updated information was obtained from validated biennial questionnaires. Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to estimate multivariable-adjusted RRs and 95% CIs.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After 1,038,093 person-years of follow-up, 11,606 cases of incident hearing loss were reported. Consumption of 2 or more servings of fish per week was associated with a lower risk of hearing loss. In comparison with women who rarely consumed fish (<1 serving/mo), the multivariable-adjusted RR for hearing loss among women who consumed 2-4 servings of fish per week was 0.80 (95% CI: 0.74, 0.88) (P-trend < 0.001). When examined individually, higher consumption of each specific fish type was inversely associated with risk (P-trend ≤ 0.04). Higher intake of long-chain omega-3 PUFAs was also inversely associated with risk of hearing loss. In comparison with women in the lowest quintile of intake of long-chain omega-3 PUFAs, the multivariable-adjusted RR for hearing loss among women in the highest quintile was 0.85 (95% CI: 0.80, 0.91) and among women in the highest decile was 0.78 (95% CI: 0.72, 0.85) (P-trend < 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Regular fish consumption and higher intake of long-chain omega-3 PUFAs are associated with lower risk of hearing loss in women.
authors.affiliation: From the Channing Division of Network Medicine (SGC, MW, EBR, and GCC) and the Renal Division (GCC), Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA; Vanderbilt Bill Wilkerson Center for Otolaryngology and Communication Sciences, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN (RDE); and the Departments of Biostatistics (MW) and Epidemiology (MW, EBR, GCC), Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA.
authors.forename: Sharon G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Curhan
authors.affiliation: From the Channing Division of Network Medicine (SGC, MW, EBR, and GCC) and the Renal Division (GCC), Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA; Vanderbilt Bill Wilkerson Center for Otolaryngology and Communication Sciences, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN (RDE); and the Departments of Biostatistics (MW) and Epidemiology (MW, EBR, GCC), Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA.
authors.forename: Roland D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Eavey
authors.affiliation: From the Channing Division of Network Medicine (SGC, MW, EBR, and GCC) and the Renal Division (GCC), Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA; Vanderbilt Bill Wilkerson Center for Otolaryngology and Communication Sciences, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN (RDE); and the Departments of Biostatistics (MW) and Epidemiology (MW, EBR, GCC), Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA.
authors.forename: Molin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: From the Channing Division of Network Medicine (SGC, MW, EBR, and GCC) and the Renal Division (GCC), Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA; Vanderbilt Bill Wilkerson Center for Otolaryngology and Communication Sciences, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN (RDE); and the Departments of Biostatistics (MW) and Epidemiology (MW, EBR, GCC), Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA.
authors.forename: Eric B
authors.initials: EB
authors.lastname: Rimm
authors.affiliation: From the Channing Division of Network Medicine (SGC, MW, EBR, and GCC) and the Renal Division (GCC), Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA; Vanderbilt Bill Wilkerson Center for Otolaryngology and Communication Sciences, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN (RDE); and the Departments of Biostatistics (MW) and Epidemiology (MW, EBR, GCC), Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA.
authors.forename: Gary C
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Curhan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D015992:Body Mass Index; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000008:administration & dosage; D002149:Energy Intake; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3 / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005260:Female; D005399:Fishes; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D034381:Hearing Loss / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D011446:Prospective Studies; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012307:Risk Factors; D017747:Seafood; D057566:Self Report; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055105:Waist Circumference
chemical_list: D004041:Dietary Fats; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3