Hearing loss prevalence declining in U.S.

• Position: Deafness

Hearing loss among U.S. adults aged 20 to 69 has declined over the last decade, even as the number of older Americans continues to grow. These National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders findings also confirm that hearing loss is associated strongly with age and other demographic factors, such as sex, race/ethnicity, and education. Noise exposure, which is preventable, also was significant, but less strongly associated after adjustment for other factors.

The researchers found that the overall annual prevalence of hearing loss dropped from 16% to 14%, or 28,000,000 adults, in the 19992004 period versus 27,700,000 in the 2011-12 period. This decline in absolute numbers was observed despite an increase in the population generally, and in the relative number of adults aged 50 to 69 in the more-recent time period. These results are consistent with previous findings showing improvements in hearing over time, when researchers compared data from 1959-62 with data from 1999-2004.

"Our findings show a promising trend of better hearing among adults that spans more than half a century," says Howard J. Hoffman, director of the Epidemiology and Statistics Program. "The decline in hearing loss rates among adults under age 70 suggests that age-related hearing loss may be delayed until later in life. This is good news because, for those who do develop hearing loss, they will have experienced more quality years of life with...