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May 2006
Editor: Scientists have found many genes are implicated in hearing loss
fairly early in life. Now it seems that they've found one that is related
to late-onset hearing loss. Here's the report from Indiana University.
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Researchers at Indiana University School of Medicine have taken a step
toward understanding the genetics that make people more susceptible to the
loss of hearing as they age. In a study of 50 pairs of fraternal twins
with hearing loss, the scientists uncovered evidence linking the hearing
loss to a particular region of DNA that previously was tied to a
hereditary form of progressive deafness that begins much earlier in life.
The work is believed to be the first genomic screening in search of
genes associated with hearing loss using a sample of elderly people drawn
from the general population. The 50 sets of twins were drawn from a group
of twins who are veterans of World War II and the Korean War.
The results suggest "that this region may contain an important locus
for hearing loss in the general population," said Terry E. Reed, Ph.D.,
professor of medical and molecular genetics at the IU School of Medicine.
The region of DNA identified by the IU study, a section of chromosome 3
named DFNA18, was implicated in a 2001 study of hereditary deafness in a
large German family. It's possible the two studies are pointing to the
same gene or genes, with variation in the genes resulting in differences
in susceptibility to hearing loss, Dr. Reed said.
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July 2008
By the time we reach age 60, 30 percent of us will
have some degree of age-related hearing loss, and by age 80, this percentage
increases to 50 percent. Age-related hearing loss, called presbycusis, is
the gradual and progressive loss of hearing that begins for many in midlife
and continues to increase throughout the aging process. It affects men more
than women and represents a complex interplay of genetic susceptibility and
environmental insults. Hearing loss is the most common sensory deficit among
older adults, and its effects can be socially and psychologically
devastating, leading to loneliness, isolation, anxiety and depression.
Fortunately, hearing aids and assistive listening devices can help those who
are willing to give them a try; however, denial, fear of change,
embarrassment, and stigmatization often stand in the way of a successful
amplification outcome.
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