Rheumatoid Arthritis Doesn't Boost Risk for Hearing Loss

TUESDAY, March 7, 2006 (HealthDay News) -- In a finding that contradicts previous research, a Mayo Clinic study says that rheumatoid arthritis (RA) does not increase the risk of hearing loss.

The study included 29 people, aged 40 to 69, who had rheumatoid arthritis for more than five years. They were compared to 30 people without RA. Both groups underwent hearing tests. Seventeen of the 29 people with RA had abnormal hearing for at least one sound frequency, compared with 14 of the 30 people without the disease.

The findings were presented Monday at the American Auditory Society's annual meeting, in Scottsdale, Ariz.

"This is very good news for rheumatoid arthritis patients," senior researcher Dr. Eric Matteson, a Mayo Clinic rheumatologist, said in a prepared statement. "Patients with rheumatoid arthritis actually have preserved hearing and are not more susceptible to hearing loss than those who do not have the disease; there is no measurable difference with standard testing. This was surprising. I expected to see more hearing loss in rheumatoid arthritis patients."

However, he added that the findings do not mean there is no link between hearing loss and rheumatoid arthritis.

"Hearing loss can be a symptom of rheumatoid arthritis, but it doesn't seem to be more of a problem than in the general population," Matteson said.

Interestingly, the rheumatoid arthritis patients in this study were more likely to think they had hearing problems. This was especially true in those who had more severe RA.

"Perhaps this is due to severe disability, and thus an overall feeling of helplessness. People who have profound disability may generalize their disabilities to other areas of the body -- they just feel worse overall," Matteson said.

More information

The Arthritis Foundation has more about RA.