Low-dose aspirin exerts no effect on progression of age-related hearing loss

Daily intake of 100-mg aspirin over 3 years does not appear to limit the progression of age-related hearing loss, according to a secondary analysis of the ASPREE study.

The analysis included 279 healthy community-dwelling individuals (55 percent male) living in Australia who were at least 70 years of age (mean age 73.1 years) and free of overt cardiovascular diseases, dementia, and life-limiting illnesses. These participants received either a 100-mg daily dose of enteric-coated aspirin (n=138) or matching placebo (n=141).

Researchers conducted hearing assessments, including air conduction audiometry and binaural speech perception in noise, at baseline, 18 months, and 3 years. Multivariable mixed linear regression models were used to compare outcomes between the aspirin and placebo groups.

Hearing loss at baseline was identified in 71 percent of participants in the aspirin group and in 67 percent in the placebo group. Compared with placebo, aspirin use was not associated with significant changes in mean 4-frequency average hearing threshold from baseline to year 3 (aspirin: difference, 3.3 dB; placebo: difference, 3.0 dB; p=0.55) or in any other tested frequencies. Of note, air conduction threshold increases indicated hearing deterioration.

The mean speech reception threshold likewise did not change significantly at the year-3 follow-up assessment with aspirin as compared with placebo (aspirin: difference, 0.9 dB; placebo: difference, 0.9 dB; p=0.86).

The results were consistent across subgroups defined by sex, age, diabetes, and smoking status.