Adults with HIV+ have poor lower, higher-frequency hearing

A new study has recently revealed that adults with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV+) have worse lower, higher-frequency hearing than their counterparts.

The relationship between HIV and hearing loss in the era of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) has not been investigated thoroughly.

Peter Torre III, Ph.D., of San Diego State University, California, and coauthors evaluated pure-tone hearing thresholds among 262 men (117 HIV+) and 134 women (105 HIV+). The men had an average age of 57 years and the women were an average age of nearly 48.

The authors found that high-frequency pure-tone average (HPTA) and low-frequency (LPTA) were significantly higher (i.e. poorer hearing) for HIV+ adults compared with HIV- adults for the better ear. The results were independent of long-term exposure to antiretroviral medications, current CD4+ cell count and HIV viral load.

The study is published online by JAMA Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery.