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Context: Presbycusis can be mediated by the effects of inflammatory processes on the auditory system, and these aging biological mechanisms remain poorly studied., Aims: The aim of this study was to determine whether plasma biomarkers are associated with hearing disorders caused by aging in the elderly., Settings and Design: Cross-sectional study with 106 participants in the Active Aging Project, 93 (88%) females and 13 (12%) males, with an average age of 70 years., Methods and Material: Audiological evaluation was performed with pure tone audiometry and collection of peripheral blood for the measurement of plasma levels of interleukins 2, 4, 6, and 10, tumor necrosis factor-α, and interferon-γ by means of flow cytometry., Statistical Analysis Used: The SPSS (v.0, SPSS Inc., Chicago, USA) was used for the analysis of the data obtained. For all data analyzed, the significance level adopted was P < 0.05 and 95% confidence interval., Results: There were statistically significant correlations between male and IL-2 (P = 0.031; rs = 0.210), mean II of the right ear (P = 0.004; rs = 0.279), longer in years (P = 0.002; rs = 0.307) and in hours (P = 0.004; rs = 0.281) of noise exposure also in males., Conclusions: In the present study, there was an association between the male gender and higher plasma levels of IL-2, an increase in the average hearing in the right ear, and greater time in years and hours of exposure to noise. There was a predominance of mild sensorineural hearing loss and worsening of hearing related to age, characteristics of presbycusis., (Copyright © 2024 Noise & Health.)

Objective: The aim of this study was to verify the association between the auditory handicap found in the Hearing Handicap Inventory for the Elderly-Screening Version (HHIE-S) questionnaire and hearing loss and the plasma levels of inflammatory biomarkers., Materials and Methods: Cross-sectional study with 76 participants, 67 (88%) females and 9 (12%) males, with a mean age of 70 years. Tonal threshold audiometry and self-assessment with HHIE-S questionnaire were performed to measure the plasma levels of interleukin-2 (IL-2), IL-4, IL-6, and IL-10; tumor necrosis factor alpha; and interferon gamma (IFN-γ) flow cytometry method. For all data analyzed, the significance level adopted was P < 0.05 and 95% confidence interval., Results: An inverse correlation was observed between the increase in plasma levels of IFN-γ and normal auditory handicap (P = 0.015; rs = -0.280). The severe handicap group showed an increase in the averages I (P = 0.005; rs = 0.350) and II (P = 0.016; rs = 0.368) in the right ear and the light/moderate handicap group increased the means I (P = 0.027; rs = 0.350) and II (P = 0.046; rs = 0.310) of the left ear. A statistically significant association was found between the speech recognition threshold (SRT) test results of the right ear and the severe handicap group (P = 0.002; rs = 0.271)., Conclusions: There was an association between the increase in plasma levels of IFN-γ and normal auditory handicap. Additionally, statistically significant associations were observed between the mild/moderate and severe handicap groups with the increase in hearing means and an increase in SRT associated with the severe handicap group., (Copyright © 2024 Noise & Health.)

The present study aimed to evaluate the body composition and cardiorespiratory fitness of overweight or obese people after COVID-19. 171 volunteers of both sexes (men, n = 93 and women, n = 78) between 19 and 65 years old were allocated into three groups according to the severity of their symptoms of COVID-19: non-hospitalized people/mild symptoms ( n = 61), hospitalized ( n = 58), and hospitalized in an intensive care unit-ICU ( n = 52). Two laboratory visits were carried out 24 h apart. First, a medical consultation was carried out, with subsequent measurement of body weight and height (calculation of body mass index) and body composition assessment via electrical bioimpedance. After 24 h, a cardiorespiratory test was performed using the Bruce protocol, with a direct gas exchange analysis. Hospitalized individuals had significantly higher values for fat mass and body fat percentage than non-hospitalized individuals ( p < 0.05). Significantly higher values were found for heart rate (HR) and peak oxygen consumption (VO 2 peak) for individuals who were not hospitalized when compared to those hospitalized in the ICU ( p < 0.05). Significantly higher values for distance, ventilation, and the relationship between respiratory quotient were found for non-hospitalized individuals compared to hospitalized individuals and those in the ICU ( p < 0.05). After the cardiorespiratory test, higher values for peripheral oxygen saturation (SpO 2 ) were observed for non-hospitalized individuals than for all hospitalized individuals ( p < 0.05). Diastolic blood pressure was significantly higher at the tenth and fifteenth minute post-Bruce test in hospitalized than in non-hospitalized participants ( p < 0.05). Based on these results, proposals for cardiopulmonary rehabilitation are indispensable for hospitalized groups considering the responses of blood pressure. Monitoring HR, SpO 2, and blood pressure are necessary during rehabilitation to avoid possible physical complications. Volume and intensity of exercise prescription should respect the physiologic adaptation. Given lower physical conditioning among all the groups, proposals for recovering from health conditions are urgent and indispensable for COVID-19 survivors., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Lemos, Cavalini, Pugliese Henrique, Perli, de Moraes Marchiori, Marchiori, Sordi, Franzói de Moraes, de Paula Ramos, Valdés-Badilla, Mota and Magnani Branco.)

Introduction  Tinnitus affects a large portion of the world's population. There are several questionnaires being used for the evaluation of the severity of tinnitus and its impact in quality of life; however, they do not measure treatment-related changes. So, a new self-reported questionnaire was developed, the Tinnitus Functional Index (TFI), which has been translated into several languages. Objective  To perform the translation, cultural adaptation and validation of the TFI questionnaire for Brazilian Portuguese. Method  This is a multicenter project divided into two stages: translation and cultural adaptation; and validation and reliability. For the validation, the Brazilian Portuguese version of the TFI was correlated with the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI) domains for tinnitus and quality of life and was evaluated by the Spearman ρ test. The reliability and internal consistency were evaluated by the Cronbach α test. Result  The Brazilian version of the TFI was obtained through an initial translation process, synthesis of translations, backtranslation and evaluation by a committee of experts. This version was then applied in 88 patients complaining of tinnitus from speech therapy and otorhinolaryngology outpatient clinics of the three school clinics. The Brazilian version presented high reliability, as evidenced by the Cronbach α value (α = 0.870), and strong correlation (rho = 0.760 and p  = 0.000). Conclusion  The high reliability found in the results demonstrates that the Brazilian Portuguese version of the TFI is a valid and reliable instrument to evaluate the severity and impact of tinnitus on quality of life and changes related to its treatment., Competing Interests: Conflict of Interests The authors have no conflict of interests to declare., (Fundação Otorrinolaringologia. This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonDerivative-NonCommercial License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commecial purposes, or adapted, remixed, transformed or built upon. ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ ).)

Introduction  Working conditions can contribute to the development of lifestyle-related diseases among teachers, including obesity and tinnitus. Describing tinnitus in relation to characteristics and comorbidities can help the treatment and prognosis of teachers affected by this symptom. Objective  To verify a possible association between tinnitus complaint and body mass index (BMI) in teachers. Methods  Cross-sectional study with a sample of teachers who responded to the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) and to the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI). The BMI (kg/m2) was calculated based on self-reported body weight (in kilograms) divided by height (in meters squared). Nonparametric statistics were applied adopting a significance level < 0.05 Results  A total of 83 teachers were assessed, with a mean age 48 ± 9.7 years old; 63.9% ( n = 53) were females; 44.6% were eutrophic ( n  = 37), and 16.9% ( n  = 14) were obese. Of the total, 19.3% ( n  = 16) reported tinnitus. No differences were found between the groups and BMI ( p  > 0.05), although there was a significant difference between the Tinnitus and No Tinnitus groups for age ( p  < 0.001). The chi-squared test showed an association between age group and tinnitus ( p  < 0.028); those with tinnitus were in the 49 to 65 years old age group. In addition, there was a moderate correlation between tinnitus parameters (VAS; THI-Functional; THI-Total) and BMI. Conclusion  There was a moderate correlation between tinnitus parameters and BMI indicating that, as the BMI increased, so did the impact of tinnitus in the lives of the teachers. Body mass index should be considered a factor in tinnitus assessment and rehabilitation process., Competing Interests: Conflict of Interests The authors have no conflict of interests to declare., (Fundação Otorrinolaringologia. This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonDerivative-NonCommercial License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commecial purposes, or adapted, remixed, transformed or built upon. ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ ).)

Introduction  Some studies have shown associations between sleep quality and dizziness. However, this association has not been investigated in teachers. Objective  To verify a possible association between dizziness complaint and sleep quality in teachers. Methods  Cross-sectional study developed with 96 school teachers (mean age of 47.8 ± 9.8 years). To assess dizziness, an audiological assessment was performed, which was the same one used in routine audiological care (Miller protocol). The dizziness handicap inventory (DHI) was applied to those individuals who reported dizziness. To evaluated sleep quality, the Pittsburgh sleep quality index was used. Results  The prevalence of dizziness was 22.9% ( n  = 22). Of these, 77.3% ( n  = 17) were women, 63.6% ( n  = 14) demonstrated poor sleep quality, and 54.5% ( n  = 12) were young adults (27-48 years). In the comparison between the dizziness and the control groups, no statistically significant differences were found ( p > 0.05). The analysis adjusted for the confounding variables showed a difference for men in the sleep efficiency variable ( p  = 0.043); young adults showed a statistically significant difference in the total score ( p  = 0.021) and total sleep time ( p  = 0.029). There was a moderate correlation between DHI and total time in bed ( p  = 0.036, r = 0.497) and DHI and sleep efficiency ( p  = 0.014; r = -0.582). Conclusion  Dizziness influences the quality of sleep in teachers, especially that of the youngest and male patients. There was a moderate correlation between total time in bed, sleep efficiency, and DHI, demonstrating that sleep quality should be considered an important factor in the assessment and rehabilitation process of dizziness., Competing Interests: Conflicts of Interest The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare., (Fundação Otorrinolaringologia. This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonDerivative-NonCommercial License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commecial purposes, or adapted, remixed, transformed or built upon. ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ ).)

Introduction  Sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) is a serious public health problem. Some evidence suggests a significant relationship between SNHL and balance disorders. The inability to maintain balance associated with SNHL while standing further increases the risk of falls among older people. Objective  To investigate the association between SNHL on the postural balance in elderly individuals of both genders. Methods  The sample consisted of 247 (166 women) physically independent elderly individuals, (mean age = 68.4 ± 6.0). The instruments used were the anamnesis and the pure tone audiometry for hearing loss, and for balance a force platform based in measures of center of pressure area and of sway velocity in the anteroposterior and mediolateral directions. Results  Presence of hearing loss (HL) was observed in 68% of the participants. We observed a significant association between SNHL and characteristics of balance between the groups with and without HL for center of pressure (COP) area ( p  = 0.010), anteroposterior velocity ( p  = 0.001) and mediolateral velocity ( p  = 0.020). There was a significant difference between the gender groups for center of pressure area ( p  = 0.004), anteroposterior velocity ( p  = 0.001) and mediolateral velocity ( p  = 0.001) with better performance in the female group. Amongst men, there was a difference between the ones with HL and those without it, for COP area ( p  = 0.049). Conclusion  In the present study, elderly individuals with SNHL exhibited more instability on the postural balance, and elderly men presented worse results in the test., Competing Interests: Conflict of Interests The authors have no conflict of interests to declare.

Introduction  Studies have found that elderly patients with benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) may present low levels of vitamin D (25 (OH) D), changes in bone mineral density, and diabetes mellitus (DM). Objective : To investigate the possible association between BPPV, bone mineral density, hypovitaminosis D, 25 (OH) D and DM. Methods  The sample consisted of 109 elderly subjects. The BPPV was verified by a standardized questionnaire and the Dix-Hallpike maneuver. Blood samples were collected for the investigation of 25 (OH) D serum levels. The bone mineral density was evaluated by means of a densitometer. Diabetes mellitus verification was performed using a self-reported questionnaire. Results  Of the 109 participants, 17 had BPPV. There was a statistically significant difference between BPPV and gender ( p  = 0.027, phi = 0.222), with female representing 88.2% of those with BPPV. In the group with BPPV, there was a statistically significant difference for the amount of vitamin D found ( p  = 0.001) and for age ( p  = 0.001). In the elderly group with DM and BPPV, a difference was found for the standard deviation of the femur ( p  = 0.022) with posthoc Dunn, identifying the difference between diabetics with and without BPPV ( p  = 0.047). Conclusion  Although no association was found (25 (OH) D levels) with BPPV in the general population of this study, it was observed that there was an association with bone mineral density in the elderly group with DM and BPPV, and, in the group with BPPV, there was an association between the amount of vitamin D and age., Competing Interests: Conflicts of Interest The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.

Introduction  Physical inactivity is an important risk factor for many aging-related symptoms. Studies suggest that physical activity may help to relieve tinnitus and headache. Objective  To investigate the presence of tinnitus and headache in elderly individuals by associating it with the lack of regular physical activity. Methods  A cross-sectional study including elderly individuals who live independently. The practice of physical activity and the complaints of headache and of tinnitus were checked by means of a questionnaire with objective questions. The statistical analysis was performed using the chi-squared test and relative risk, and a multiple logistic regression model was used to determine how well each factor predicted headache while controlling for each of the other factors. Results  Based on a sample of 494 subjects, it was found that 213 (43.11%) complained of tinnitus. Among the complainants, 97 (45.53%) practiced physical activity regularly. We have confirmed associations between headache with lack of physical activity among elderly individuals with tinnitus ( p  = 0.0440). It was also observed that certain factors, such as male gender and tinnitus, are independent factors for the complaint of headache. Conclusion  We have found that headache could be a symptom related to the lack of regular physical activity among elderly individuals with tinnitus.

Aim: To investigate the association between the single nucleotide polymorphism in the position-889 (C/T) of the promoter region of the IL-1α gene and the susceptibility to tinnitus., Method: This was a case-control study with a sample of 108 independent elderly people over 60 years of age. Information on exposure to occupational noise and tinnitus was obtained by interviews. The genetic polymorphism was analyzed by polymerase chain reaction followed by cleavage with restriction enzyme NcoI. Data were analyzed using the Chi-square test, with the significance level set at 5%. For the statistical analysis all individuals with tinnitus on the right ear were eligible., Results: Among elderly with tinnitus, 42.9% had a history of exposure to occupational noise. There was statistically significant association between IL-1α gene polymorphism and tinnitus in subjects without a history of exposure to occupational noise (P  = 0.006 and χ 2  = 10.39). The elderly with the T allele were less likely to have tinnitus due to occupational noise exposure when compared to those carrying the C allele., Conclusion: This study suggests an association between the IL-1α gene polymorphism with susceptibility to tinnitus in individuals without a history of exposure to occupational noise. The present study demonstrated that allele T of IL-1α is a protective factor for presence and severity of tinnitus in the elderly and allele C contributes to the pathogenesis of the inflammatory response. The present observation implied the signaling IL-1α is involved in ear aging., Competing Interests: None

Introduction  The aging process causes changes in body structure in a continuous manner, and contributes to clinical disorders. Life expectancy is increasing, especially in developing countries. Objective  To assess the prevalence of hearing loss and its possible association with hypertension and diabetes mellitus (DM) in the elderly. Methods  A cross-sectional study with 519 elderly individuals aged over 60 years who underwent an audiological evaluation (pure tone audiometry), and answered a comorbidity questionnaire that included questions about age, gender, tinnitus and medical history, with data concerning DM. The dependent variable was the presence of hearing loss. The independent variables were age, gender, DM and hypertension. The variables were presented in absolute numbers and proportions, and enabled us to estimate the prevalence. The statistical analysis was performed through multiple logistic regression with 95% confidence intervals and values of p  < 0.05 for the hearing loss and its associated factors. Results  A total of 519 subjects of both genders with a median age of 69 years were evaluated, and the individuals who did not attend the audiometric test were excluded from the study, so the final sample was composed of 498 subjects. Sensorineural hearing loss was more prevalent (66.26%) of most frequently with bilateral hearing loss of 91.56% and 26.50% with mild degree. The statistical analysis showed that the variable DM was associated with the high frequency of hearing loss in the elderly, and according to the multiple logistic regression, the risk factors are independent of the hearing loss only for age and exposure to occupational noise. Conclusions  There was a statistically significant difference between hearing loss at high frequencies and the risk factors, that is, age and DM.

Introduction  Functional disorders of the craniocervical region affect 77.78% of Brazilian teachers. Among the most common instruments used to assess craniocervical disorders in a detailed and objective way, none had been translated to Brazilian Portuguese and adapted to Brazilian culture. Objectives  To translate to Brazilian Portuguese and to culturally adapt the Craniocervical Dysfunction Index (CDI). Method  The first phase of the study consisted of the translation, synthesis, back-translation, and review of the contents by a committee of experts, who developed a trial version and sent all the steps to the original author. The trial version was applied to 50 teachers of an institution. The reliability and internal consistency were evaluated by Cronbach α. For the validation, the Brazilian Portuguese version of the CDI was correlated with the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) domains for cervicalgia and evaluated by Spearman ρ. Result  Some expressions were adapted to the Brazilian culture. Among the participants who did not report neck pain in the VAS, 84.21% suffered from craniocervical dysfunction acording to the CDI. Among the participants who reported neck pain in the VAS, 100% suffered from craniocervical dysfunction according to the CDI. The CDI showed good internal consistency and satisfactory reliability measured by Cronbrach α (α = 0.717). There was a strong correlation between the CDI and the VAS score (ρ = 0.735). Conclusion  No difficulties were encountered in the translation and back-translation of the CDI, and no problems were observed regarding the trial version developed; therefore, the Brazilian Portuguese version of the CDI is a valid and reliable instrument to evaluate the functional alteration of the craniocervical region.

Context: Tinnitus is a common disorder that occurs frequently across all strata of population and has an important health concern and is often associated with different forms of the hearing loss of varying severity., Aims: To investigate the association between the polymorphism of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα) in the region -308 G/A with the susceptibility to tinnitus in individuals with the history of exposure to occupational noise., Settings and Design: This was a cross-sectional study with a sample of 179 independent elderly people above 60 years of age., Materials and Methods: Information on exposure to occupational noise was obtained by interviews. Audiological evaluation was performed using pure tone audiometry and genotyped through polymerase chain reaction by restriction fragment length polymorphism., Statistical Analysis Used: Data were analyzed using the chi-square test and the odds ratio (OR), with the significance level set at 5%., Results: Among elderly with tinnitus (43.01%), 33.76% had a history of exposure to occupational noise. A statistically significant association was found between genotype frequencies of the TNFα gene in the -308 G/A region and the complaint of tinnitus (P = 0.04 and χ 2  = 4.19). The elderly with the G allele were less likely to have tinnitus due to occupational noise exposure when compared to those carrying the A allele (OR = 2.74; 95% CI: 1.56-4.81; P < 0.0005)., Conclusion: This study suggests an association between the TNFα with susceptibility to tinnitus in individuals with a history of exposure to occupational noise., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest