Hearing is less acute in postmenopausal women taking combined estrogen and progestin than in women taking no hormones or estrogen alone, according to a report published online Sept. 7 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Early Edition.
Hearing is less acute in postmenopausal women taking combined estrogen and progestin than in women taking no hormones or estrogen alone, according to a report published online Sept. 7 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Early Edition.
Robert Frisina, PhD, of the University of Rochester Medical Center in Rochester, N.Y., and colleagues compared hearing abilities in 124 healthy postmenopausal women aged 60 to 86 who were taking estrogen and progestin (32), estrogen only (30), and who were not taking hormones (62).
The researchers found that pure-tone thresholds in both ears were poorer in women taking estrogen and progestin than in women on estrogen alone or not on hormones.
Women taking estrogen and progestin also had worse levels on distortion-producing otoacoustic emissions tests, and were also less able to discern speech amid background noise or quiet than women on estrogen alone or not on hormones.
"These findings suggest that the presence of progestin as a component of hormone replacement therapy results in poorer hearing abilities in aged women taking hormone replacement therapy, affecting both the peripheral (ear) and central (brain) auditory systems, and it interferes with the perception of speech in background noise," the authors write.
Guimaraes P, Frisina ST, Mapes F, et al. Progestin negatively affects hearing in aged women. Published online before print September 7, 2006, Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2006;103:14246-14249.
SART data indicates rise in IVF use in 2022
April 24th 2024Dive into the latest statistics from the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology, revealing a 6% increase in in vitro fertilization cycles and a surge in egg freezing, amidst a landscape of rising fertility service demand and evolving clinical practices.
Read More
Study finds antihypertensive treatment reduces uterine fibroids risk
April 23rd 2024A recent study revealed that patients with untreated or new-onset hypertension face elevated chances of uterine fibroid diagnosis, underscoring the potential of antihypertensive therapy in mitigating this risk among midlife individuals.
Read More