Abstract
Previous studies have reported the relationship between effect of caffeine and many diseases. However, studies to evaluate the association between caffeine and hearing loss are contradictory. To examine the relationship of urinary caffeine metabolites with the hearing threshold in US adults, a total of 849 adults aged 20–69 years who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES, 2011–2012) were enrolled in this study. Urinary caffeine and its 14 metabolites were applied as biomarkers to assess caffeine exposure. Hearing loss was defined as mean pure tone averages > 25 dB HL at 500, 1000, and 2000 Hz in both ears (low frequency); and 3000, 4000, and 6000 Hz in both ears (high frequency). Univariate and multivariate linear regression analyses were conducted to examine the associations of urinary caffeine metabolites with low- and high-frequency hearing thresholds, respectively. Low-frequency hearing loss were 5.08% and 6.10% in male and female participants, respectively; and high-frequency hearing loss were 31.81% and 15.14% in male and female participants, respectively. In the unadjusted model, the P value for trend shows that urinary caffeine metabolites 137X and AAMU were significantly associated with low-frequency PTA, and that 17X, 137X, AAMU were significantly associated with high-frequency PTA, but when the model was adjusted for sex, age, education level, firearm noise exposure, occupational noise exposure, recreational noise exposure, serum cotinine, body mass index, diabetes, hypertension, these were no longer statistically significant. In conclusion, urinary caffeine metabolites were not associated with the hearing threshold shifts in US adults.
Highlights
Abbreviations NHANES The national health and nutrition examination survey pure tone averages (PTA) Pure tone average PIR Ratio of family income to poverty body mass index (BMI) Body mass index 1-methyluric acid (1U) 1-Methyluric acid 3-methyluric acid (3U) 3-Methyluric acid 7-methyluric acid (7U) 7-Methyluric acid 13U 1,3 Dimethyluric acid 17U 1,7-Dimethyluric acid 37U 3,7-Dimethyluric acid 137U 1,3,7 Trimethyluric acid 1X 1-Methylxanthine 3X 3-Methylxanthine 7X 7-Methylxanthine 13X 1,3 Dimethylxanthine 17X 1,7-Dimethylxanthine 37X 3,7 Dimethylxanthine 137X 1,3,7-Trimethylxanthine AAMU 5 Acetylamino-6-amino-3-methyluracil
In the unadjusted model, the P value for trend shows that 137X and AAMU were significantly associated with low-frequency PTA, and that 17X, 137X, AAMU were significantly associated with high-frequency PTA
Two studies based on test of guinea pigs showed that a daily dose of caffeine can impair the recovery of hearing after an acoustic overstimulation e vent[6,11]
Summary
Abbreviations NHANES The national health and nutrition examination survey PTA Pure tone average PIR Ratio of family income to poverty BMI Body mass index 1U 1-Methyluric acid 3U 3-Methyluric acid 7U 7-Methyluric acid 13U 1,3 Dimethyluric acid 17U 1,7-Dimethyluric acid 37U 3,7-Dimethyluric acid 137U 1,3,7 Trimethyluric acid 1X 1-Methylxanthine 3X 3-Methylxanthine 7X 7-Methylxanthine 13X 1,3 Dimethylxanthine 17X 1,7-Dimethylxanthine 37X 3,7 Dimethylxanthine 137X 1,3,7-Trimethylxanthine AAMU 5 Acetylamino-6-amino-3-methyluracil. Variable Sex (female) Age (years) BMI (kg/m2) Education level (above high school) Firearm noise exposure Occupational noise exposure Recreational noise exposure Cotinine (≥ 10 ng/mL) Diabetes Hypertension 3U (umol/L) 7U (umol/L) 137U (umol/L) 17X (umol/L) 137X (umol/L) AAMU (umol/L)
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