Annals of Occupational and Environmental Medicine

Original article

Association between serum iron levels and low-frequency hearing loss in Korean females: Inho Jung, Seunghyeon Cho, Sunjin Jung, JiHwan Kim, Won-Ju Park; Ann Occup Environ Med 2025;37:e28. Published online September 2, 2025; DOI: https://doi.org/10.35371/aoem.2025.37.e28

Abstract Abstract in Korean PDF: Background
This study investigates the association between serum iron levels and frequency-specific hearing loss in Korean female population, a topic previously unexplored in auditory health research.
Methods
This study enrolled Korean female participants from the general population. Serum iron levels and hearing thresholds at low (1 kHz) and high (4 kHz) frequencies were assessed, adjusting for potential confounders. Participants were stratified into quartiles based on serum iron levels.
Results
The mean age of the study population was 51.1 ± 10.1 years. Among the 2,987 participants, 344 (11.5%) had abnormal low-frequency hearing thresholds, and 719 (24.1%) had abnormal high-frequency thresholds. Multiple linear regression analysis demonstrated a significant negative association between serum iron levels and low-frequency hearing thresholds (β = –0.012, p = 0.017), whereas no significant association was observed with high-frequency thresholds (β = –0.006, p = 0.352). In a stratified analysis using 50 years (the average menopausal age) as a cutoff, no statistically significant association was identified in participants younger than 50 years. However, in those aged 50 years and older, the negative association between serum iron levels and low-frequency hearing thresholds remained statistically significant.
Conclusions
This study is the first to identify an association between serum iron levels and low-frequency hearing loss in females aged 50 years and older, underscoring the potential role of iron in auditory function. These findings highlight the importance of further research in diverse populations to elucidate the underlying mechanisms and broader clinical implications.; 혈청 철분 수치와 한국 여성의 저주파 난청 간의 연관성
배경
본 연구는 혈청 철분 수치와 특정 주파수 난청 간의 연관성을 조사하였다.
방법
일반 한국인 여성 집단을 대상으로 연구를 진행하였으며, 혈청 철분 수치와 저주파(1 kHz) 및 고주파(4 kHz)에서의 청력 역치를 측정하였다. 또한, 잠재적 교란 변수를 보정한 후 분석을 수행하였다. 연구 대상자는 혈청 철분 수치에 따라 사분위수로 분류하여 분석을 시행하였다.
결과
연구 대상자는 총 2,987명이었으며 평균 연령은 51.1 ± 10.1 이었다. 대상자 중 344명(11.5%)이 저주파 난청을, 719명(24.1%)이 고주파 난청을 보였다. 교란 변수를 보정한 후 선형 회귀 분석을 수행한 결과, 혈청 철분 수치와 저주파 청력 역치 간에는 유의한 역상관 관계가 나타났으나(β = -0.012, p = 0.017), 고주파 청력 역치와는 유의한 연관성이 확인되지 않았다(β = -0.006, p = 0.352). 평균 폐경 연령인 50세를 기준으로 층화 분석을 진행한 결과, 50세 미만에서는 통계적으로 유의한 연관성이 나타나지 않았으나, 50세 이상에서는 이러한 연관성이 유의하게 유지되었다. 이는 혈청 철분 수치가 50세 이상 여성의 저주파 난청과 특히 관련이 있을 가능성을 시사한다.
결론
본 연구는 혈청 철분 수치와 50세 이상 여성의 저주파 난청 간의 연관성을 최초로 규명하였다. 본 연구 결과는 청각 건강에서 철분의 중요성을 강조하며, 보다 다양한 집단을 대상으로 한 추가 연구의 필요성을 제기한다.

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Original Article

Effect of Hand Transmitted Vibration on the Auditory System: Jae Kook Yoon, Cheol In Yoo, Ji Ho Lee; Korean Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine 2011;23(1):18-30. Published online March 31, 2011; DOI: https://doi.org/10.35371/kjoem.2011.23.1.18

OBJECTIVES
This study was undertaken to estimate the effect of hand transmitted vibration exposure for long time period on the auditory system in shipyard grinder workers.
METHODS
From 2006 to 2009, the study was carried out on 87 grinder workers for hand transmitted vibration exposure group, with 81 welders who were served as the control group. All subjects were male; at baseline, none of the participants had ear disease or diabetes mellitus. Auditory threshold at different frequencies ranged from 0.25 kHz to 8 kHz for both ear was recorded; the following were also collected from the subjects: age, exposure duration, noise exposure level of investigation year, total cholesterol, systolic/diastolic blood pressure, and smoking history.
RESULTS
In comparison of two groups, mean of age, exposure duration, noise level, total cholesterol, systolic/diastolic blood pressure, smoking rate were not significantly different between the groups. Auditory thresholds of 0.25, 0.5 kHz frequencies in both ear, 1 kHz frequency in right ear, and 8 kHz frequency in left ear were higher in hand-transmitted vibration exposure group than that in the control group at a statistically significant level. After stratification by age 50 years, there were no significant differences between the two groups in less than 50-years old age group, but auditory threshold of 0.25, 0.5, 1 and 8 kHz frequency were significantly different between the two groups in above 50-years old age group. The differences between two groups ranged from 0.4 dB(HL) to 6.7 dB(HL). Multiple linear regression analysis showed that hand transmitted vibration exposure was significant only in 0.25, 0.5 kHz frequency and the regression coefficients of vibration exposure ranged from 3.826 to 5.028 in those frequencies.
CONCLUSIONS
The differences of hearing threshold between two groups only in the 50-years old group were possibly owing to changed peripheral vascular system with autonomic nervous system, and significances only in low frequencies such as 0.25, 0.5 kHz probably mean that hand vibration exposure have been transmitted to auditory organ over long term. Collectively, older people can be more susceptible to hearing loss in the presence of hand transmitted vibration exposure and auditory threshold at low frequency may be more affected by the hand transmitted vibration exposure than high frequency.

Citations

Citations to this article as recorded by

The Health Effect of Hand Arm Transmitted Vibration
Jung-Wan Koo
Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea.2013; 32(4): 303. CrossRef

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