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Editor-
Barrenas et al suggest that sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) in adulthood
may be programmed by influences operating in early life(1). These findings
are of interest but are not new. We have previously published data from
the Hertfordshire Ageing Study in the UK demonstrating a significant
relationship between hearing acuity in 64 to 74 year old men and women and
weight at one year such that those who were lightest at one year had a 32%
higher hearing threshold (worse hearing) than those who were heaviest (2).
This was not related to the method of infant feeding. A more recent study
of Danish conscripts aged 18 years showed that both reduced visual acuity
and impaired hearing were associated with lower birth weight(3).
Replication of observational epidemiological findings is helpful but the
underlying mechanism needs to be considered to take this work forward. We
are addressing this by collaborating with our colleagues in the basic
sciences.
Avan Aihie Sayer MRC Clinical Scientist
Cyrus Cooper Director
MRC Epidemiology Resource Centre, University of Southampton, SO16 6YD
1. Barrenas ML, Bratthall A, Dahlgren J. The thrifty phenotype
hypothesis and hearing problems. BMJ 2003;327:1199-200.
2. Sayer AA, Cooper C, Evans JR et al. Are rates of ageing
determined in utero? Age Ageing 1998;27:579-83.
3. Olsen J, Sorensen HT, Steffensen FH et al. The association of
indicators of fetal growth with visual acuity and hearing among
conscripts. Epidemiology 2001;12:235-8.
Competing interests:
None declared
Competing interests:
No competing interests
10 February 2004
Avan Aihie Sayer
MRC Clinical Scientist
Cyrus Cooper
MRC Epidemiology Resource Centre, University of Southampton, SO16 6YD
Adult hearing is related to early growth but what is the mechanism?
Editor-
Barrenas et al suggest that sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) in adulthood
may be programmed by influences operating in early life(1). These findings
are of interest but are not new. We have previously published data from
the Hertfordshire Ageing Study in the UK demonstrating a significant
relationship between hearing acuity in 64 to 74 year old men and women and
weight at one year such that those who were lightest at one year had a 32%
higher hearing threshold (worse hearing) than those who were heaviest (2).
This was not related to the method of infant feeding. A more recent study
of Danish conscripts aged 18 years showed that both reduced visual acuity
and impaired hearing were associated with lower birth weight(3).
Replication of observational epidemiological findings is helpful but the
underlying mechanism needs to be considered to take this work forward. We
are addressing this by collaborating with our colleagues in the basic
sciences.
Avan Aihie Sayer
MRC Clinical Scientist
Cyrus Cooper
Director
MRC Epidemiology Resource Centre, University of Southampton, SO16 6YD
aas@mrc.soton.ac.uk
1. Barrenas ML, Bratthall A, Dahlgren J. The thrifty phenotype
hypothesis and hearing problems. BMJ 2003;327:1199-200.
2. Sayer AA, Cooper C, Evans JR et al. Are rates of ageing
determined in utero? Age Ageing 1998;27:579-83.
3. Olsen J, Sorensen HT, Steffensen FH et al. The association of
indicators of fetal growth with visual acuity and hearing among
conscripts. Epidemiology 2001;12:235-8.
Competing interests:
None declared
Competing interests: No competing interests