Topical Area: Neuroscience/Nutrition and the Brain
Neuroscience/Nutrition and the Brain (Poster Session)
Galya Bigman, PhD (she/her/hers)
Advanced Fellow at the VA
Veteran Affairs
Baltimore, Maryland, United States
Kathleen E. Bainbridge, PhD.
National Institutes of Health
Intake of flavonoids may mitigate the loss of hearing function due to antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and neuroprotective properties. This study examined whether flavonoid intake is associated with hearing impairment among men and women aged ≥70 years.
This cross-sectional analysis used nationally-representative data from 1628 participants aged ≥70 years. Data come from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) collected during 2009–2010 and 2017–2018. A pure-tone average (PTA) of hearing thresholds measured at 0.5, 1.0, 2.0 and 4.0 kHz was calculated for each ear. Bilateral hearing impairment was defined as PTA >25 dB in both ears. Total flavonoid intake was calculated from two 24-hour dietary recalls and dichotomized using 100 mg/day as the cutoff. Study covariates included age, sex, race/ethnicity, income-to-poverty ratio, education, BMI, Healthy Eating Index (HEI-2015), alcohol use, smoking status, and history of self-reported comorbidities e.g., diabetes, stroke, cancer, and cardiovascular diseases. Multivariable weighted logistic regression models were used to estimate the adjusted odds ratios (aORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) between flavonoid intake and bilateral hearing impairment.
The prevalence of bilateral hearing impairment was 59% and higher in men (64%) than women (55%) (p< 0.001). The interquartile range (IQR) for total flavonoid intake was 250p75%-32p25%= 218 mg/day where 55% of the participants consumed ≤ 100 mg/day. After adjusting for covariates, total flavonoid intake >100 vs.≤100 mg/day was associated with 27% lower odds of having bilateral hearing impairment (aOR=0.73; 95% CI, 0.54-0.99). A significant interaction term between sex and total flavonoid intake was observed (p< 0.001) as well. After stratification by sex, the association between total flavonoid intake and bilateral hearing impairment remained significant in men (aOR=0.50; 95% CI, 0.31-0.81) but not in women (aOR=0.99; 95% CI, 0.67-1.50).
Conclusions:
Findings indicate that total flavonoid intake is associated with hearing impairment in men aged ≥70 years. Further research into how flavonoid intake might play a role in the pathogenesis of age-related hearing loss is suggested.
Funding Sources: N/A