Serum polyunsaturated fatty acids and hearing threshold shifts in adults in the United States: A cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND: Few studies have evaluated the association between polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) and hearing levels. This study aimed to investigate the association between serum PUFAs and hearing threshold shifts in US adults. METHODS: We investigated 913 adults from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2011–2012. Multivariate linear regression analyses were conducted to evaluate associations between PUFA and hearing threshold shifts. RESULTS: Overall, 11 serum PUFAs were inversely associated with low-frequency thresholds, especially in men, and were positively related to high-frequency thresholds, particularly in the 40–59 years old cohort. Furthermore, some serum PUFAs were positively associated with both hearing threshold subgroups in women. CONCLUSION: Some PUFAs tend to be beneficial for low-frequency hearing status and detrimental to the high-frequency hearing threshold. The male sex may play a protective role in this association, while the female sex and middle age may be detrimental in the effect of PUFAs on hearing function.