Frequently adding salt while eating increases hearing loss risk: study

A Korean research team has found that the habit of frequently adding salt while eating increases the risk of hearing loss.

The research team, led by Professor Jung Da-jung of the Department of Otolaryngology at Kyungpook National University Hospital, announced on Monday that they were the first worldwide to establish a link between the habit of frequently adding salt during meals and an increased risk of hearing loss, using large-scale population cohort data from the UK Biobank.

The team conducted a long-term follow-up study of about 490,000 adults aged 40 to 69 and confirmed that individuals who “always add” salt to their meals had a 23 percent higher risk of developing hearing loss compared to those who “rarely do.” This association was more pronounced in relatively younger age groups under 60, males, and individuals without diabetes or hypertension.

Previous studies have explored the link between salt intake and hearing loss. However, these studies, primarily small-scale, failed to reach consistent conclusions. The research team emphasized the significant academic and clinical importance of this study, as it is the first to provide causal evidence linking the frequency of salt intake to the risk of hearing loss, based on the world's largest cohort data.

“This study demonstrates that salt intake habits can influence the occurrence of hearing loss,” Professor Jung said. “It holds significant public health implications for hearing loss prevention by suggesting the potential to preserve hearing through simple dietary habit improvements.”

Their findings were published in the latest issue of “The Journal of Nutrition, Health and Aging” (Elsevier / Impact factor 4.7).