Low levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol may be linked with hearing loss in men, researchers from Iwate Medical University, Japan suggested recently. They enrolled 607 men and 317 women aged between 40 and 59 years with no history of eardrum problems. They also showed normal results on a glucose tolerance test. Divided into two groups: a high-level group with serum lipid concentrations were at least one standard deviation lower than the average.Results showed that when men were stratified based on their HDL cholesterol concentration, hearing levels at 2000 Hz and 4000 Hz in the high-level group were significantly better than those with low concentrations of this lipid. The authors of the study suggest that low serum concentration of HDL cholesterol is associated with hearing loss. As a result they argue that arteriopathy may contribute to auditory dysfunction.
