Antioxidant vitamins and magnesium and the risk of hearing loss in the US general population.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The protective effects of antioxidant vitamins on hearing loss are well established in animal studies but in few human studies. Recent animal studies suggest that magnesium intake along with antioxidants may act in synergy to prevent hearing loss.

Objective

We examined associations between intake of antioxidant vitamins (daily β-carotene and vitamins C and E) and magnesium and hearing thresholds and explored their joint effects in US adults.

Design

We analyzed cross-sectional data from 2592 participants aged 20-69 y from NHANES 2001-2004. Hearing thresholds as pure tone averages (PTAs) at speech (0.5, 1, 2, and 4 kHz) and high frequencies (3, 4, and 6 kHz) were computed.

Results

When examined individually, modeled as quartiles, and after adjustment f

SUBMITTER: Choi YH 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4441318 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature