Age-related hearing loss and bone mass in a population of rural women aged 60 to 85 years.

Demineralization of the cochlear capsule in conjunction with age-related bone mass loss may be one biologic factor contributing to hearing loss in the elderly. In other metabolic bone diseases, including Paget's disease of the bone and cochlear otosclerosis, demineralization of the cochlea has been associated with sensorineural hearing loss. In 1988/1989, the relation between hearing loss and bone mass of the radius and femoral neck was studied cross-sectionally in 369 women aged 60 to 85 years from three rural communities. Hearing sensitivity was measured using audiometry, and bone mineral density of the radius and femoral neck was measured using single- and dual-photon densitometry, respectively. Three variables, ascertained by interview, were associated with an increased odds for hearing loss: age, family history of hearing loss before the age of 50 years, and current use of more than two nonestrogen, nonthiazide prescription medications. After consideration of the effect of these three variables, women with femoral neck bone mass values below the mean value of 0.696 g/cm2 for this population had a 1.9 greater odds of having a hearing loss (confidence interval: 1.30, 2.50). This study demonstrated a consistent adjusted association between femoral neck bone mass and age-related hearing loss in a population of rural women aged 60 to 85 years. No consistent association was observed between radial bone mass and hearing loss.