Link between Hearing
Loss and lower Levels of Aldosterone Hormone
February 10th, 2006
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A research project from the International Center for Hearing and Speech
Research (ICHSR) measured the amount of aldosterone hormone in aging
individuals and found a relationship of lowered hormone levels and
hearing loss.
This combined research project came from the National Technical
Institute for the Deaf at Rochester Institute of Technology and
neuroscientists from the University of Rochester who participate with
the ICHSR center. The funding for this project came from the National
Institute on Aging, which is a leader in age related hearing loss
research. The research paper was first published in the November issue
of the journal, Hearing Research.
Aldosterone is a hormone that helps the kidney function and is also used
in conjunction with potassium and sodium that works with the nervous
system. If there is an imbalance of potassium and sodium it is believed
that the nerves will not send signals to the brain as well. The
potassium levels are extremely important for the nerves in the inner
ear. The fluid needs to be abundant with potassium in order for sound
to be converted into signals that the nervous system can deliver to the
brain.
The researchers selected 47 men and women aged 58 through 84 that did
not have any major health problems. They measured the blood levels for
aldosterone. It is common for aldosterone levels ten to drop as we
age. The people in this study that had severe hearing had around half
as much aldosterone in their blood compared to those that did not have
any hearing loss. The researchers stress that these test should not
encourage physicians or patients to change their aldosterone levels.
They are not certain if normal levels vary from person to person. More
research would have to be completed to test safety of altering
aldosterone levels.
"We found a direct link between blood levels of aldosterone and the
ability of people to hear normally as they age. Depressed hormone levels
may hurt hearing both in the inner ear and the part of the brain used
for hearing,” said D. Frisina Ph.D who is professor of Otolaryngology at
the University of Rochester Medical Center and is also an additional
professor at Rochester Institute of Technology. Frisina continued by
saying, “More research is needed, however, to understand the precise
role that aldosterone plays – for instance, whether it's a cause of
failed hearing, or whether it's symptomatic. Before we understand the
issue more fully, people should not worry about their aldosterone levels
or look to boost the amount in their bloodstream."
The researchers also say that as we tend to age there is also more
likelihood of decreased levels of potassium in the inner ear. The
researchers believe that lowered potassium levels in the inner ear are
directly related to the lowered blood levels of aldosterone.
"We are now working out some of the underlying biology about how the
decline occurs," said Frisina. "We have evidence that these potassium
channels may play an important role in the failure of the feedback
system, which is a big part of age-related hearing loss."
As we age more and more people will have a hearing problem. Some people
can get hearing damage from loud noise exposure, or have damage because
of some types of medication’s that produce side effects. There are many
people with hearing loss in which the cause is unknown. Hearing
problems most often begin in peoples 40’s and 50’s. Hearing loss is the
most noticeable in a person that is in their 60’s or older.
The research team will look into gene therapy as a possible treatment
for age related hearing loss. They hope that it might be possible in
the future to correct the inner ear’s potassium imbalance to restore
hearing. If the gene therapy is successful it may also help in the
treatment of genetic congenital deafness, which is also related to a
potassium imbalance in the inner ear.
By
Nicole Wilson
Best Syndication Staff Writer
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