Women who took ibuprofen or acetaminophen two or more days per week had an increased risk of hearing loss, according to data from the Nurses’ Health Study II.
The more often a woman took either medication, the higher the risk. The link tended to be greater in women younger than 50, and especially in those who took ibuprofen six or more days per week.
Researchers with Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston prospectively examined the relationship between frequency of aspirin, ibuprofen and acetaminophen use and risk of hearing loss among 62,261 women, ages 31 to 48 at baseline, in the Nurses’ Health Study II. The women were followed from 1995 to 2009, with 10,012 self-reporting hearing loss.
Compared with women who used ibuprofen less than once per week, those who used it two to three days per week had a 13% increased risk of hearing loss. The risk was 21% higher when use was four to five days per week and 24% higher when use was six or more days per week.
Compared with women who used acetaminophen less than once per week, women who used acetaminophen two to three days per week had an 11% increased risk for hearing loss. Women taking the medicine four to five days per week had a 21% increased risk.
The researchers found no association between aspirin use and hearing loss.
"Possible mechanisms might be that NSAIDs may reduce blood flow to the cochlea — the hearing organ — and impair its function," Sharon G. Curhan, MD, the study’s first author, said in a news release. "Acetaminophen may deplete factors that protect the cochlea from damage."
Curhan, of the BWH Channing Division of Network Medicine, noted that although analgesics are widely available without a prescription, they carry potential side effects.
"If individuals find a need to take these types of medications regularly, they should consult with their healthcare professional to discuss the risks and benefits and to explore other possible alternatives," Curhan said.
More than 50% of American adults suffer from high-frequency hearing loss by the time they reach 60, according to the study. A third of women in their 50s and nearly two-thirds in their 60s have experienced hearing loss.
According to the World Health Organization, adult-onset hearing loss is the sixth most common disease burden in high-income countries.
The study will appear in the Sept. 15 issue of the American Journal of Epidemiology. The study abstract is available at http://aje.oxfordjournals.org/content/early/2012/08/29/aje.kws146.abstract.
The more often a woman took either medication, the higher the risk. The link tended to be greater in women younger than 50, and especially in those who took ibuprofen six or more days per week.
Researchers with Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston prospectively examined the relationship between frequency of aspirin, ibuprofen and acetaminophen use and risk of hearing loss among 62,261 women, ages 31 to 48 at baseline, in the Nurses’ Health Study II. The women were followed from 1995 to 2009, with 10,012 self-reporting hearing loss.
Compared with women who used ibuprofen less than once per week, those who used it two to three days per week had a 13% increased risk of hearing loss. The risk was 21% higher when use was four to five days per week and 24% higher when use was six or more days per week.
Compared with women who used acetaminophen less than once per week, women who used acetaminophen two to three days per week had an 11% increased risk for hearing loss. Women taking the medicine four to five days per week had a 21% increased risk.
The researchers found no association between aspirin use and hearing loss.
"Possible mechanisms might be that NSAIDs may reduce blood flow to the cochlea — the hearing organ — and impair its function," Sharon G. Curhan, MD, the study’s first author, said in a news release. "Acetaminophen may deplete factors that protect the cochlea from damage."
Curhan, of the BWH Channing Division of Network Medicine, noted that although analgesics are widely available without a prescription, they carry potential side effects.
"If individuals find a need to take these types of medications regularly, they should consult with their healthcare professional to discuss the risks and benefits and to explore other possible alternatives," Curhan said.
More than 50% of American adults suffer from high-frequency hearing loss by the time they reach 60, according to the study. A third of women in their 50s and nearly two-thirds in their 60s have experienced hearing loss.
According to the World Health Organization, adult-onset hearing loss is the sixth most common disease burden in high-income countries.
The study will appear in the Sept. 15 issue of the American Journal of Epidemiology. The study abstract is available at http://aje.oxfordjournals.org/content/early/2012/08/29/aje.kws146.abstract.
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