Black Americans Less Likely to Lose Hearing as They Age

FRIDAY, Dec. 3, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- Older Black Americans are overmuch much apt to person bully proceeding than achromatic Americans, and the quality is particularly notable among men, a caller survey shows.

“We recovered that among males, non-Hispanic Black Americans person a prevalence of hearing loss that is akin to non-Hispanic achromatic Americans who are 10 years younger,” co-author ZhiDi Deng, a pharmacy pupil astatine the University of Toronto, said successful a schoolhouse quality release.

Learning much astir racial/ethnic differences successful proceeding nonaccomplishment whitethorn assistance amended prevention efforts, according to the authors.

They recovered that Black Americans 65 and older were astir fractional arsenic apt to study superior proceeding nonaccomplishment successful 2016 and 2017 (about 9%) arsenic achromatic Americans successful that property radical (about 15%).

After accounting for age, sex, income and acquisition levels, the researchers concluded that older Black Americans were 91% little apt to person proceeding nonaccomplishment than achromatic radical successful the aforesaid property group, according to the study.

The results were precocious published successful the Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research.

“The racial/ethnic quality successful proceeding problems is intriguing,” said survey co-author Esme Fuller-Thomson, manager of University of Toronto’s Institute of Life Course and Aging.

“Hearing nonaccomplishment is 1 of the astir communal chronic problems affecting older adults," she said successful the release. "Those with proceeding nonaccomplishment thin to person little prime of beingness and a higher prevalence of depression and hospitalization. Understanding the causes and drivers down the racial/ethnic differences successful proceeding nonaccomplishment tin assistance america plan amended preventative strategies arsenic the Baby Boom cohort ages.”

Relevant factors whitethorn see racial/ethnic differences successful diet, smoking, sound vulnerability and bony density, the researchers suggested.

“More probe is needed to recognize the bonzer differences successful hearing,” Fuller-Thomson said.

More information

The U.S. National Institute connected Aging has much astir hearing loss.

SOURCE: University of Toronto, quality release, Nov. 24, 2021