Consuming more omega-3 fatty acids may help prevent hearing loss

Key takeaways:

• DHA may play a role in maintaining auditory function as people age.
• Those with the highest DHA levels were 8% to 20% less likely to report hearing issues compared with those with the lowest levels.

BOSTON — Higher blood levels of the omega-3 fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid may help protect against hearing loss, according to the results of research presented at NUTRITION.

More than 1.5 billion people around the world have hearing loss — roughly 20% of the population — and higher fish intake has been correlated with age-related hearing loss, Michael I. McBurney, PhD, a senior scientist with the Fatty Acid Research Institute and an adjunct professor in the department of human health & nutritional sciences at the University of Guelph and the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University, and colleagues reported.

McBurney told Healio that dietary ingestion of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is important because low blood levels of long-chain omega-3 fatty acids “are associated with increased risk of many chronic diseases and mortality.”

McBurney and colleagues conducted a study to analyze cross-sectional associations between self-reported hearing loss and plasma DHA levels. The researchers used data from the UK Biobank, which gathered information from biological samples, physical measurements and questionnaires completed by 502,639 people aged 40 to 69 years between 2007 to 2010. Roughly 117,900 people had plasma DHA data available, and between 71,368 and 115,303 individuals also had hearing data, depending on the outcome.

McBurney and colleagues found that people with the highest DHA levels — those in the top DHA quintile — were 8% to 20% less likely to report hearing issues compared with those in the lowest quintile.

In fully adjusted multivariable logistic regression models, compared with those in the lowest group, people in the top quintile had a lower risk for:

• hearing difficulty (OR = 0.89; 95% CI,0.8-0.94);
• difficulty hearing with background noise (OR = 0.92; 95% CI. 0.88-0.96); and
• hearing aid use (OR = 0.8; 95% CI, 0.71-0.9).

“There is strong evidence that higher blood levels of omega-3 fatty acids are beneficial,” McBurney said in the release. “Fatty fish and omega-3 supplements are both good dietary sources. If choosing to use a dietary supplement, compare products by reading the Supplement Facts panel for eicosapentaenoic acid + DHA content.”

He told Healio that the study results should be validated in randomized, placebo-controlled intervention trials in humans, “but our findings are supported by evidence in animals that DHA plays a role in auditory function.”

For PCPs looking to learn more about omega-3 fatty acids and recommended intake, McBurney said reliable information can be found at the Global Organization for EPA and DHA and the Council for Responsible Nutrition.

Reference:

• McBurney MI, et al. Association of plasma omega-3 blood levels and prevalent hearing loss in the UK biobank. Presented at: NUTRITION; July 22-25, 2023; Boston.