Hearing Impairment and Retirement

Background: Many factors influence the decision to retire including age, insurance, and pension availability along with physical and mental health. Hearing impairment may be one such factor. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to compare the 15 yr retirement rate among subjects with and without hearing impairment. Research Design: Prospective, population-based study. Study Sample: Subjects were participants in the Epidemiology of Hearing Loss Study (EHLS), a longitudinal investigation of age-related hearing loss. Participants who were working full- or part-time in 1993–1995 were included (n = 1410, mean age = 57.8 yr). Data Collection and Analysis: Data from four EHLS phases (1993–1995, 1998–2000, 2003–2005, and 2009–2010) were analyzed in 2010–2012. Hearing impairment was defined as a pure tone threshold average (at 0.5, 1, 2, and 4 kHz) greater than 25 dB HL in the worse ear. Employment status was determined at each of the four phases. Kaplan-Meier estimates of the cumulative incidence of retirement were calculated, and Cox discrete-time modeling was used to determine the effect of hearing impairment on the rate of retirement. Results: The cumulative incidence of retirement was significantly (p < 0.02) higher in those with a hearing impairment (77%) compared to those without a hearing impairment (74%). After adjustment for age, gender, self-reported health, and history of chronic disease, there was no significant difference in the rate of retirement between those with and without a hearing impairment (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.9, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.7, 1.1). Similar results were observed when hearing aid users were excluded, when hearing impairment was based on the better ear thresholds, and when analyses were restricted to those under 65 yr of age and working full-time at baseline. Participants with a hearing impairment were less likely to state that the main reason for retirement was that the time seemed right. Conclusions: Hearing impairment was found to be associated with a higher rate of retirement, but the association was not independent of the effects of age, gender, and health.

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Long-term Assessment of Systemic Inflammation and the Cumulative Incidence of Age-related Hearing Impairment in the Epidemiology of Hearing Loss Study

The Journals of Gerontology Series A ◽

10.1093/gerona/glt075 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 69A (2) ◽

pp. 207-214 ◽

Cited By ~ 38

Author(s):

Scott D. Nash ◽

Karen J. Cruickshanks ◽

Weihai Zhan ◽

Michael Y. Tsai ◽

Ronald Klein ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Hearing Loss ◽

Hearing Impairment ◽

Systemic Inflammation ◽

Cumulative Incidence ◽

Age Related

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Prevalence of Tinnitus in an Aging Population and Its Relation to Age and Hearing Loss

Otolaryngology ◽

10.1177/0194599820957296 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 019459982095729 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Berthe C. Oosterloo ◽

Pauline H. Croll ◽

Robert J. Baatenburg de Jong ◽

M. Kamran Ikram ◽

André Goedegebure

Keyword(s):

Hearing Loss ◽

Hearing Impairment ◽

Daily Life ◽

Age Groups ◽

Aging Population ◽

Population Based ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Related Disorder ◽

Age Related ◽

Aging Populations

Objectives Tinnitus is a common hearing-related disorder, which may have a large impact on daily life. With aging populations worldwide, it is important to gain insight in the occurrence of tinnitus at older ages and to understand its relationship with age-related hearing loss. We investigated the prevalence of tinnitus among a general aging population, across age strata and hearing status. Study Design Cross-sectional. Setting The population-based Rotterdam Study. Methods A total of 6098 participants underwent tinnitus assessment, and 4805 had additional hearing assessment. We determined tinnitus prevalence per 5-year age groups. Hearing impairment was defined as ≥25–dB HL worse ear pure tone average (0.5, 1, 2, 4 kHz). We investigated with multivariable logistic regression the association between hearing impairment and tinnitus. Tinnitus handicap was assessed in 663 participants with daily tinnitus via the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory–screening version (THI-s). Results Tinnitus was prevalent in 21.4% (n = 1304). Prevalent tinnitus was evenly distributed over 5-year age groups. Participants with hearing impairment were more likely to have tinnitus (odds ratio, 2.27; 95% CI, 1.92-2.69) as compared with those without hearing impairment. The median THI-s score was 4 (interquartile range, 0-10), indicating a slight handicap, and 14.6% of the participants reported a moderate or severe handicap (THI-s ≥16). Conclusions In a general elderly population, 1 in 5 persons has tinnitus. Of those with tinnitus, for 1 per 10 persons, the presence of tinnitus interfered with daily life. Participants with hearing impairment were twice as likely to have tinnitus. Despite the age-dependent occurrence of hearing impairment, no such age dependency was found for tinnitus.

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Impact of Cochlear Implantation on Neurocognitive Subdomains in Adult Cochlear Implant Recipients

Audiology and Neurotology ◽

10.1159/000510855 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-10

Author(s):

Christiane Völter ◽

Lisa Götze ◽

Imme Haubitz ◽

Janine Müther ◽

Stefan Dazert ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Hearing Loss ◽

Cochlear Implant ◽

Cochlear Implantation ◽

Verbal Fluency ◽

Homogeneous Population ◽

Delayed Recall ◽

Hearing Status ◽

Age Related ◽

Significant Difference ◽

The Impact

Introduction: Age-related hearing loss affects about one-third of the population worldwide. Studies suggest that hearing loss may be linked to cognitive decline and auditory rehabilitation may improve cognitive functions. So far, the data are limited, and the underlying mechanisms are not fully understood. The study aimed to analyze the impact of cochlear implantation on cognition in a large homogeneous population of hearing-impaired adults using a comprehensive non-auditory cognitive assessment with regard to normal-hearing (NH) subjects. Material and Methods: Seventy-one cochlear implant (CI) candidates with a postlingual, bilateral severe or profound hearing loss aged 66.3 years (standard deviation [SD] 9.2) and 105 NH subjects aged 65.96 years (SD 9.4) were enrolled. The computer-based neurocognitive tool applied included 11 subtests covering attention (M3), short- and long-term memory (recall and delayed recall), working memory (0- and 2-back, Operation Span [OSPAN] task), processing speed (Trail Making Test [TMT] A), mental flexibility (TMT B), inhibition (cFlanker and iFlanker), and verbal fluency. CI patients underwent a neurocognitive testing preoperatively as well as 12 months postoperatively. Impact of hearing status, age, gender, and education on cognitive subdomains was studied. Additionally, after controlling for education and age, cognitive performance of CI subjects (n = 41) was compared to that of NH (n = 34). Results: CI users achieved significantly better neurocognitive scores 12 months after cochlear implantation than before in most subtests (M3, [delayed] recall, 2-back, OSPAN, iFlanker, and verbal fluency; all p < 0.05) except for the TMT A and B. A significant correlation could be found between the postoperative improvement in speech perception and in the attentional task M3 (p = 0.01). Hearing status (p = 0.0006) had the strongest effect on attention, whereas education had a high impact on recall (p = 0.002), OSPAN (p = 0.0004), and TMT A (p = 0.005) and B (p = 0.003). Inhibition was mainly age-dependent with better results in younger subjects (p = 0.016). Verbal fluency was predicted by gender as females outperformed men (p = 0.009). Even after controlling for age and education NH subjects showed a significantly better performance than CI candidates in the recall (p = 0.03) and delayed recall (p = 0.01) tasks. Postoperatively, there was no significant difference between the 2 groups anymore. Conclusion: Impact of cochlear implantation on neurocognitive functions differs according to the cognitive subdomains. Postoperatively, CI recipients performed as good as age- and education-matched NH subjects.

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Modeling Hearing Loss Progression and Asymmetry in the Older Old: A National Population-Based Survey

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igaa057.693 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. 214-215

Author(s):

Rahul Sharma ◽

Anil Lalwani ◽

Justin Golub

Keyword(s):

Hearing Loss ◽

Pure Tone ◽

Population Level ◽

Population Based ◽

National Database ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Adult Lifespan ◽

Pure Tone Average ◽

Age Related ◽

Public Datasets

Abstract The progression and asymmetry of age-related hearing loss has not been well characterized in those 80 years of age and older because public datasets mask upper extremes of age to protect anonymity. We aimed to model the progression and asymmetry of hearing loss in the older old using a representative, national database. This was a cross-sectional, multicentered US epidemiologic analysis using the National Health and Nutrition Examination Study (NHANES) 2005-2006, 2009-2010, and 2011-2012 cycles. Subjects included non-institutionalized, civilian adults 80 years and older (n=621). Federal security clearance was granted to access publicly-restricted age data. Outcome measures included pure-tone average air conduction thresholds and the 4-frequency pure tone average (PTA). 621 subjects were 80 years old or older (mean=84.2 years, range=80-104 years), representing 10,600,197 Americans. Hearing loss exhibited constant acceleration across the adult lifespan at a rate of 0.0052 dB/year2 (95% CI = 0.0049, 0.0055). Compounded over a lifetime, the velocity of hearing loss would increase five-fold, from 0.2 dB loss/year at age 20 to 1 dB loss/year at age 100. This model predicted mean PTA within 2 dB of accuracy for most ages between 20 and 100 years. There was no change in the asymmetry of hearing loss with increasing age over 80 years (linear regression coefficient of asymmetry over age=0.07 (95% CI=-0.01, 0.24). In conclusion, hearing loss steadily and predictably accelerates across the adult lifespan to at least age 100, becoming near-universal. These population-level statistics will guide treatment and policy recommendations for hearing health in the older old.

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The Effect of Conventional and Transparent Surgical Masks on Speech Understanding in Individuals with and without Hearing Loss

Journal of the American Academy of Audiology ◽

10.3766/jaaa.15151 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 28 (01) ◽

pp. 058-067 ◽

Cited By ~ 16

Author(s):

Samuel R. Atcherson ◽

Lisa Lucks Mendel ◽

Wesley J. Baltimore ◽

Chhayakanta Patro ◽

Sungmin Lee ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Hearing Loss ◽

Speech Perception ◽

Hearing Impairment ◽

Visual Input ◽

Acoustic Properties ◽

Speech Understanding ◽

Profound Hearing Loss ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Surgical Masks ◽

Significant Difference

AbstractIt is generally well known that speech perception is often improved with integrated audiovisual input whether in quiet or in noise. In many health-care environments, however, conventional surgical masks block visual access to the mouth and obscure other potential facial cues. In addition, these environments can be noisy. Although these masks may not alter the acoustic properties, the presence of noise in addition to the lack of visual input can have a deleterious effect on speech understanding. A transparent (“see-through”) surgical mask may help to overcome this issue.To compare the effect of noise and various visual input conditions on speech understanding for listeners with normal hearing (NH) and hearing impairment using different surgical masks.Participants were assigned to one of three groups based on hearing sensitivity in this quasi-experimental, cross-sectional study.A total of 31 adults participated in this study: one talker, ten listeners with NH, ten listeners with moderate sensorineural hearing loss, and ten listeners with severe-to-profound hearing loss.Selected lists from the Connected Speech Test were digitally recorded with and without surgical masks and then presented to the listeners at 65 dB HL in five conditions against a background of four-talker babble (+10 dB SNR): without a mask (auditory only), without a mask (auditory and visual), with a transparent mask (auditory only), with a transparent mask (auditory and visual), and with a paper mask (auditory only).A significant difference was found in the spectral analyses of the speech stimuli with and without the masks; however, no more than ∼2 dB root mean square. Listeners with NH performed consistently well across all conditions. Both groups of listeners with hearing impairment benefitted from visual input from the transparent mask. The magnitude of improvement in speech perception in noise was greatest for the severe-to-profound group.Findings confirm improved speech perception performance in noise for listeners with hearing impairment when visual input is provided using a transparent surgical mask. Most importantly, the use of the transparent mask did not negatively affect speech perception performance in noise.

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AGE-RELATED ISSUES OF THE QUALITY OF LIFE IN HEARING IMPAIRED PATIENTS

Успехи геронтологии ◽

10.34922/ae.2020.33.5.008 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 885-892

Author(s):

Л. Е. Голованова ◽

Е. А. Огородникова ◽

Е. С. Лаптева ◽

М. Ю. Бобошко

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Hearing Loss ◽

Hearing Aids ◽

Pure Tone Audiometry ◽

Hearing Impaired ◽

Hearing Disorders ◽

Age Related ◽

Sf 36 ◽

Significant Difference

Целью исследования было изучение качества жизни лиц с нарушениями слуха в разных возрастных группах. Обследованы 100 пациентов, обратившихся в городской сурдологический центр для взрослых в связи с нарушением слуха: 50 человек - 34-59 лет, 50 - 60 лет и старше, из которых 32 человека были пожилого возраста (60-74 года)и 18 - старческого (75-86 лет). Степень тугоухости оценивали на основании результатов тональной пороговой аудиометрии. Для исследования качества жизни все пациенты заполняли общий опросник MOS SF-36, отражающий физический и психологический компоненты здоровья, а также специальный опросник HHIА(E)-S для лиц с нарушениями слуха. Установлено, что шкала HHIА(E)-S демонстрирует высокую корреляцию со степенью тугоухости у пациентов моложе 60 лет ( R =0,98; достоверность различий на уровне p <0,05), которая снижается у пациентов 60 лет и старше ( R =0,94; различия в оценках при разной степени тугоухости недостоверны). Значительные трудности в старшей возрастной группе могут быть связаны с тем, что людям пожилого и, особенно, старческого возраста сложно пользоваться слуховыми аппаратами (или они для них неэффективны) и оценивать свои затруднения по шкалам опросника. Целесообразно использовать шкалу HHIА(Е)-S в качестве скринингового инструмента для раннего выявления тугоухости, направления пациентов к сурдологу и своевременного слухопротезирования. The aim of the research was to study the quality of life in hearing impaired patients of different age. 100 patients referred to the city audiology centre because of their hearing disorders were examined: 50 patients from 34 to 59 years old and 50 patients from 60 years and older, from which 32 patients were of older age (60 to 74 years old) and 18 of oldest age (75 to 86 years old). A degree of hearing loss was assessed according to results of pure tone audiometry. To study the quality of life all patients ﬁlled in the questionnaire MOS SF-36, which evaluates physical and psychological components of health, and the questionnaire HHIA(E)-S, designed speciﬁcally for patients with hearing disorders. The HHIA(E)-S scale was found to show high correlation with hearing loss degree in patients younger than 60 years old ( R =0,98 with statistically signiﬁcant difference, p <0,05), with decreasing correlation in patients from 60 years and older ( R =0,98; no signiﬁcant difference while assessing various hearing loss degrees). Considerable difﬁculties in this age group may be explained by the fact, that older and especially oldest patients have a challenge with hearing aids usage (or they are of low efﬁciency for them) and with assessing theirs difﬁculties on the questionnaire scales. The HHIA(E)-S scale is useful as a screening tool for early detection of hearing loss, referral of patients to an audiologist and prompt hearing aid ﬁtting.

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Sensorial frailty: age-related hearing loss and the risk of cognitive impairment and dementia in later life

Therapeutic Advances in Chronic Disease ◽

10.1177/2040622318811000 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 10 ◽

pp. 204062231881100 ◽

Cited By ~ 16

Author(s):

Francesco Panza ◽

Madia Lozupone ◽

Rodolfo Sardone ◽

Petronilla Battista ◽

Marco Piccininni ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Hearing Loss ◽

Cognitive Impairment ◽

Cognitive Decline ◽

Clinical Condition ◽

Oldest Old ◽

Population Based ◽

Older Age ◽

Age Related ◽

Increased Risk ◽

Age Related Hearing Loss

The peripheral hearing alterations and central auditory processing disorder (CAPD) associated with age-related hearing loss (ARHL), may impact cognitive disorders in older age. In older age, ARHL is also a significant marker for frailty, another age-related multidimensional clinical condition with a nonspecific state of vulnerability, reduced multisystem physiological reserve, and decreased resistance to different stressors (i.e. sensorial impairments, psychosocial stress, diseases, injuries). The multidimensional nature of frailty required an approach based on different pathogeneses because this clinical condition may include sensorial, physical, social, nutritional, cognitive, and psychological phenotypes. In the present narrative review, the cumulative epidemiological evidence coming from several longitudinal population-based studies, suggested convincing links between peripheral ARHL and incident cognitive decline and dementia. Moreover, a few longitudinal case-control and population-based studies also suggested that age-related CAPD in ARHL, may be central in determining an increased risk of incident cognitive decline, dementia, and Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Cumulative meta-analytic evidence confirmed cross-sectional and longitudinal association of both peripheral ARHL and age-related CAPD with different domains of cognitive functions, mild cognitive impairment, and dementia, while the association with dementia subtypes such as AD and vascular dementia remained unclear. However, ARHL may represent a modifiable condition and a possible target for secondary prevention of cognitive impairment in older age, social isolation, late-life depression, and frailty. Further research is required to determine whether broader hearing rehabilitative interventions including coordinated counseling and environmental accommodations could delay or halt cognitive and global decline in the oldest old with both ARHL and dementia.

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Speech Understanding Using Surgical Masks: A Problem in Health Care?

Journal of the American Academy of Audiology ◽

10.3766/jaaa.19.9.4 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 19 (09) ◽

pp. 686-695 ◽

Cited By ~ 16

Author(s):

Lisa Lucks Mendel ◽

Julie A. Gardino ◽

Samuel R. Atcherson

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

Hearing Loss ◽

Speech Perception ◽

Hearing Impairment ◽

Deleterious Effect ◽

Normal Hearing ◽

Speech Understanding ◽

Speech Stimuli ◽

Dental Office ◽

Significant Difference

Background: Successful communication is necessary in health-care environments. Yet the presence of noise in hospitals, operating rooms, and dental offices may have a deleterious effect on health-care personnel and patients understanding messages accurately. The presence of a surgical mask and hearing loss may further affect speech perception. Purpose: To evaluate whether a surgical mask had an effect on speech understanding for listeners with normal hearing and hearing impairment when speech stimuli were administered in the presence or absence of dental office noise. Research Design: Participants were assigned to one of two groups based on hearing sensitivity in this quasi-experimental, cross-sectional study. Study Sample: A total of 31 adults participated in this study (1 talker, 15 listeners with normal hearing, and 15 with hearing impairment). The normal hearing group had thresholds of 25 dB HL or better at the octave frequencies from 250 through 8000 Hz while the hearing loss group had varying degrees and configurations of hearing loss with thresholds equal to or poorer than 25 dB HL for the same octave frequencies. Data Collection And Analysis: Selected lists from the Connected Speech Test (CST) were digitally recorded with and without a surgical mask present and then presented to the listeners in four conditions: without a mask in quiet, without a mask in noise, with a mask in quiet, and with a mask in noise. Results: A significant difference was found in the spectral analyses of the speech stimuli with and without the mask. The presence of a surgical mask, however, did not have a detrimental effect on speech understanding in either the normal-hearing or hearing-impaired groups. The dental office noise did have a significant effect on speech understanding for both groups. Conclusions: These findings suggest that the presence of a surgical mask did not negatively affect speech understanding. However, the presence of noise did have a deleterious effect on speech perception and warrants further attention in health-care environments.

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Contributing Determinants to Hearing Loss in Elderly Men and Women: Results from the Population-Based Rotterdam Study

Audiology and Neurotology ◽

10.1159/000448348 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 21 (Suppl. 1) ◽

pp. 10-15 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

Stephanie C. Rigters ◽

Mick Metselaar ◽

Marjan H. Wieringa ◽

Robert J. Baatenburg de Jong ◽

Albert Hofman ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Hearing Loss ◽

High Frequency ◽

Pure Tone Audiometry ◽

Inverse Correlation ◽

Population Based ◽

Rotterdam Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Men And Women ◽

Age Related ◽

Age Related Hearing Loss

To contribute to a better understanding of the etiology in age-related hearing loss, we carried out a cross-sectional study of 3,315 participants (aged 52-99 years) in the Rotterdam Study, to analyze both low- and high-frequency hearing loss in men and women. Hearing thresholds with pure-tone audiometry were obtained, and other detailed information on a large number of possible determinants was collected. Hearing loss was associated with age, education, systolic blood pressure, diabetes mellitus, body mass index, smoking and alcohol consumption (inverse correlation). Remarkably, different associations were found for low- and high-frequency loss, as well as between men and women, suggesting that different mechanisms are involved in the etiology of age-related hearing loss.

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