Over 25 years, 56% of adults at risk developed hearing loss, about two thirds of which were mild; mean thresholds worsened ~15 dB, with the greatest decline at high frequencies (~36 dB). Older age was the strongest predictor, and long-term high noise exposure nearly doubled the odds of incident loss; at least some college education was protective. Progression was greater in women; among adults ≥50 years, hypertension and higher diastolic blood pressure were linked to faster progression, while a higher Framingham Stroke Risk Profile related to incident loss only. Testing methods differed across time points and the predominantly White cohort may limit generalizability.

Source: JAMA Network Open