Hearing Loss Among HIV-Seropositive and HIV-Seronegative Men and Women

Age-related hearing loss affects quality of life. Data on hearing loss among aging human immunodeficiency virus-seropositive (HIV+) adults are limited. To evaluate pure-tone hearing thresholds among HIV+ and HIV-seronegative (HIV-) adults and to determine whether HIV disease variables and antiretroviral therapy are associated with pure-tone threshold levels. A total of 262 men (117 HIV+) from the Baltimore, Maryland/Washington, DC, site of the Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study and 134 women (105 HIV+) from the Washington, DC, site of the Women's Interagency HIV Study participated. Pure-tone air conduction thresholds were collected in a sound-treated room for each ear at frequencies from 250 through 8000 Hz. Linear mixed regression models tested the effect of HIV on hearing after adjustment for age, sex, race, and noise exposure history. Low-frequency pure-tone average (LPTA) at 250, 500, 1000, and 2000 Hz and high-frequency PTA (HPTA) at 3000, 4000, 6000, and 8000 Hz. Differential H...