Lee Swanson Research Update

Not Enough Folate May Quicken Hearing Loss

September 2010

Low blood levels of folate are associated with a 35% increased risk of hearing loss, says a new study from Australia that strengthens the link between B vitamins and hearing.

This is not the first time the B vitamin has been linked to the prevention of hearing loss, the most common sensory disorder in the United States, affecting more than 36 million people. In 2007 scientists from Wageningen University in the Netherlands reported that among 728 men and women between the ages of 50 and 70, folic acid supplements delayed age-related hearing loss in the low frequency region (Annals of Internal Medicine 146:1-9).

Furthermore, Boston-based researchers told the 2009 American Academy of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery Foundation (AAO-HNSF) Annual Meeting in San Diego that men over the age of 60 with high folate intake from foods and supplements had a 20% decrease in risk of developing hearing loss.

Comprised of researchers from several Australian universities, The Blue Mountains Hearing Study now adds to the small but growing body of science supporting folate for hearing. The study was based on a population of 2,956 people aged 50 and over.

Researchers at the University of Sydney examined blood levels of folate, vitamin B-12 and homocysteine and correlated this with the risk of age-related hearing loss. The data showed that folate levels below 11 nanomoles per liter were associated with a 34% increased risk of age-related hearing loss.

In addition, levels of homocysteine over 20 micromoles per liter were associated with a 64% increase in the risk of hearing loss.

High blood levels of the amino acid homocysteine have been linked to a range of detrimental health conditions, including heart disease and dementia. Elevated levels of homocysteine are also said to adversely affect blood flow in the inner ear, which could increase the risk of age-related hearing loss.

Numerous studies have shown that B vitamin levels influence homocysteine levels in the blood.

While the data do show a correlation, they do not prove that higher levels of folate may reduce the risk of age-related hearing loss. Indeed, the researchers state: "large prospective studies will be required in the future to assess these associations."

Journal of Nutrition Published online ahead of print.

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