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Is there a relationship between premature hair greying and hearing impairment?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 September 2015

I Ozbay ,
C Kahraman ,
C Kucur ,
N D Namdar  and
F Oghan
I Ozbay*
Affiliation:
Department of Otolaryngology, Dumlupınar University, Kutahya, Turkey
C Kahraman
Affiliation:
Department of Internal Medicine, Dumlupınar University, Kutahya, Turkey
C Kucur
Affiliation:
Department of Otolaryngology, Dumlupınar University, Kutahya, Turkey
N D Namdar
Affiliation:
Department of Dermatology, Dumlupınar University, Kutahya, Turkey
F Oghan
Affiliation:
Department of Otolaryngology, Dumlupınar University, Kutahya, Turkey
*
Address for correspondence: Dr Isa Ozbay, Department of Otolaryngology, Medicine Faculty of Dumlupınar University, Kutahya, Turkey Fax: +90 (0)274 231 6673 E-mail: isaozbay@gmail.com
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Abstract

Objective:

There is evidence for a strong correlation between low bone mineral density and hearing loss. Furthermore, premature hair greying has been associated with low bone mineral density. Hence, this study aimed to investigate, for the first time, the relationship between premature hair greying and hearing impairment.

Methods:

Fifty patients with premature hair greying (20 women and 30 men), aged under 40 years (mean, 30.1 ± 4.9 years), who had onset of hair greying in their twenties, were recruited, along with 45 age- and sex-matched healthy control subjects (17 women and 28 men; mean age, 28.7 ± 5.1 years). Each participant was tested with low frequency audiometry at 0.125 to 2 kHz, high frequency audiometry at 4 to 8 kHz, and extended high frequency audiometry at 9 to 20 kHz.

Results:

Hearing thresholds were similar at all frequencies from 0.25 to 4 kHz (p > 0.05); however, significant hearing loss was observed at all frequencies from 8 to 20 kHz in the premature hair greying group compared with the control group (p < 0.05).

Conclusion:

Patients with premature hair greying had hearing impairment at extended high frequencies. Premature hair greying may be an important risk factor for hearing loss.

Keywords

AgingPrematureHearing LossHearing Loss, High Frequency

Information

Type
Main Articles
Information
The Journal of Laryngology & Otology , Volume 129 , Issue 11 , November 2015 , pp. 1097 - 1100
Copyright
Copyright © JLO (1984) Limited 2015 

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Footnotes

Presented orally at the 3rd Congress of European ORL-HNS, 7–11 June 2015, Prague, Czech Republic.

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