Hearing loss has always been considered an inevitable part of ageing, but a new study indicates that a healthy lifestyle can be beneficial for conserving hearing into old age.

The study, published in the Journal of the Association for Research in Otolaryngology, found that smoking and being overweight were risk factors in the most common type of hearing loss. It also found that moderate alcohol intake – at least one glass a week – appears to have a protective effect.

The study, conducted by a research team at the University of Antwerp, involved nine audiological centres in seven countries: 4,083 people aged 53-67 took part. Participants were asked about their exposure to potential environmental risk factors and their medical history. Their hearing was also tested. The data were analysed for associations between potential risk factors and hearing loss.

In addition, the research confirms that exposure to excessive noise is the main avoidable cause of permanent hearing loss.

一般认为，人到老年，听力必然要下降。但一项新研究发现，健康的生活方式可能有益于老年人保持听力。

《耳鼻喉科学研究协会期刊》(JARO)上发表的一项研究结果显示，吸烟和肥胖是导致一种最常见耳聋疾病的风险因素。该研究还发现，适量饮酒——每周至少一杯——对听力似乎有保护作用。

安特卫普大学(University of Antwerp)的一个研究小组在7个国家的9个听力学中心进行的这项研究，共有4083名年龄在53-67岁之间的老年人参与。研究人员向参与者询问了他们暴露在各种潜在环境风险因素的情况，以及他们的病史。研究人员还测试了他们的听力，然后根据数据，对潜在风险因素与听力下降的关系进行分析。

此外，该研究证实，在可能引起永久性失聪的各项因素中，暴露于过大的噪声是主要可避免因素。