Findings Underscore Potential Bidirectional Relationship of Loneliness and Hearing Loss

Clinical Question

What is the nature of the relationship between loneliness and the risk of incident hearing loss (HL)?

Bottom Line

There is a notable association between loneliness and an increased risk of HL.

Background: In exploring the risks of HL, contributing physiological and lifestyle factors have been identified; however, the role of psychosocial factors is less understood. Previous research has focused on the perspective that HL leads to increased loneliness, but no investigation has explored whether loneliness is linked to the risk of HL.

Study design: Cohort study

Setting: Institute of Applied Psychology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China

Synopsis: Researchers analyzed data from 490,865 participants in a population-based study among adults in the U.K. Loneliness was assessed with the yes/no question, “Do you often feel lonely?” Incident HL was defined as a primary diagnosis and ascertained via health records. A genetic risk score for HL was developed and applied. Covariates included age, sex, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, behavior, body mass index, chronic disease, and use of ototoxic drugs. A social isolation index was constructed using three items: household size, frequency of visits with friends/family, and engagement in leisure or social activities. Cox proportional hazard regression models were used to examine the association between loneliness and risk of incident HL. At baseline, there were 90,893 participants (54.4% female; mean age 56.1 years). Over a median follow-up of 12.3 years, 11,596 participants were diagnosed with incident HL, exhibiting an increased risk of HL (hazard ratio, 1.36) compared to non-lonely participants after adjusting for potential confounders. Women exhibited a stronger association compared to men. The highest risk of incident HL was observed among individuals with high genetic risk of HL and loneliness. Study limitations included the use of a single question with a dichotomous answer to assess loneliness.

Citation: Song Y, et al. Loneliness and risk of incident hearing loss: the UK Biobank study. Health Data Sci. 2025;5:0281. doi:10.34133/hds.0281.