Urinary Arsenic and Hearing Loss in US Adults
Author Information
Author(s): Long Lili, Jia Zhenchao, Liu Tao
Primary Institution: Sichuan University Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
Hypothesis
Is there an association between urinary arsenic levels and hearing threshold shifts in adults in the United States?
Conclusion
Higher levels of urinary arsenic metabolites are associated with poorer hearing thresholds in US adults.
Supporting Evidence
- Higher urinary dimethylarsinic acid levels were significantly associated with poor low- and speech-frequency hearing thresholds.
- The study found a nonlinear relationship between urinary arsenic levels and high-frequency hearing thresholds.
- Participants in the highest tertile of urinary arsenic had worse hearing compared to those in the lowest tertile.
Takeaway
This study found that people with higher arsenic in their urine tend to have worse hearing, especially at low and speech frequencies.
Methodology
The study analyzed data from the NHANES 2015-2016, including urinary arsenic levels and audiometric measurements from 1,017 adults aged 20-69.
Potential Biases
Residual confounding and unmeasured variables could affect the results.
Limitations
The cross-sectional design limits causal inference, and potential confounders may not have been fully accounted for.
Participant Demographics
Participants were aged 20-69 years, with a mean age of 42.13 years, and included 48.67% men.
Statistical Information
P-Value
0.0085
Confidence Interval
95% CI 1.16, 7.90
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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