Painkillers may increase risk of hearing loss in men

[kkmalaysia]

Regular use of aspirin, acetaminophen and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) may increase the risk of hearing loss in men, according to recently published research.

Noting that analgesics are commonly used by the public and such medications might lead to pathophysiological changes in the cochlea, researchers prospectively studied the link between regular analgesic use and hearing loss in 26,917 men between 40 to 74 years of age. The participants were tracked for 18 years. Regular use of analgesics was defined as twice or more each week and non-regular use was defined as less than twice each week.

“Given that analgesic use is so common and these analgesics are easily available, mindful and informed use of these medications is merited. We are not trying to overemphasize the impact of analgesics, however, this may be one of the few preventable causes of hearing loss,” said lead author of the study, Dr. Sharon G. Curhan of the Channing Laboratory, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, US.

She added that, even though analgesics can be bought from the drug store without a prescription, they should be regarded as medications with potential side effects and people should consult their physicians about the risks and benefits of taking such medicines if they need to take them regularly.

Researchers reported 3,488 cases of hearing loss during 369,079 person-years of follow-up. They also found that younger men who used analgesics had a greater risk of hearing loss compared to older users of the medicines.

Regular users of aspirin below the age of 50 and those aged from 50 to 59 were 33 percent more likely than non-regular users of aspirin to develop hearing loss. There was no association between aspirin use and hearing loss in men aged 60 and above.

Regular users of NSAIDS who were below age 50 were 61 percent more likely, those aged 50 to 59 years were 32 percent more likely and those aged 60 and above were 16 percent more likely to develop hearing loss compared to non-regular users of NSAIDS.

Regular users of acetaminophen below age 50 were 99 percent more likely, those aged 50 to 59 years were 38 percent more likely and those aged 60 and older were 16 percent likelier to have hearing loss compared to non-regular users of the drug. [Am J Med 2010 Mar;123(3):231-7]

“Advancing age is a strong risk factor for hearing loss. There may be many factors that contribute to hearing loss over time,” said Curhan, commenting on why a greater risk of hearing loss was seen among younger males in the study. “The relative contribution of regular analgesic use to hearing loss may be greater in younger individuals before the cumulative effects of age and other factors have accrued.”

Dr. Raymond Ngo, a consultant at the Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, National University Hospital, Singapore, said that because the risks of ototoxicity from aspirin and NSAIDS are known, the study is unlikely to change prescription habits for those two drugs.

“The mention of acetaminophen is a surprise. Acetaminophen’s role is certainly one that is unproven and should be further researched. Unfortunately, the three classes of drugs are common analgesics and any alternatives have more serious side effects. So, I do not think that it will affect the way doctors prescribe,” Ngo said.

Analgesics have been associated with hearing-loss, according to a new study.


Source: MIMS.COM