A new study published in December 2013 in the American Journal of Medicine finds there is a link between obesity and hearing loss in women.
I wrote several months back about the link between obesity and hearing loss in teens. Now, a new study published in December 2013 in the American Journal of Medicine finds there is also a link between obesity and hearing loss in women.
The study, conducted by researchers at Brigham and Women's Hospital, examined the independent associations between BMI, waist circumference, and physical activity, and self-reported hearing loss in 68,421 women who participated in the Nurses' Health Study II from 1989 to 2009. Biennial questionnaires provided updated information on BMI, waist circumference, and physical activity.
What the researchers found was this: women who had a body mass index of 30 to 34 (classified as obesity) had a 17 percent higher risk of hearing loss than women with a BMI lower than 25 (normal weight is indicated by a BMI of 18.5 to 24.9). Those with a BMI of 40 or greater had a 25 percent higher risk of hearing loss.
Here is the good news: Data from the study shows that exercise seemed to decrease the risk for hearing loss. The most physically active women had a 17 percent lower risk of hearing loss than women who were the least physically active. And the level of activity did not need to be strenuous. Walking just two hours or more a week lowered hearing loss risk by 15 percent more than walking less than an hour a week.
You can read more here.