Classification, Pathophysiology, Genetics, And Role of Lifestyle Medicine in Presbycusis

Abstract

Presbycusis, which is age-related hearing loss is hearing loss usually seen in the elderly due to advancing in age, marked by a higher hearing threshold usually worse at higher frequencies, which impairs speech discrimination in noise. Genetic predisposition is an important factor in the aetiology of presbycusis. Presbycusis was previously classified into 4 different types, and recently into 6 types with the addition of mixed, and indeterminate types of presbycusis, with each type reflecting a peculiar audiometric configuration and speech discrimination percentage. Artificial intelligence has utilized this peculiar audiometric feature in diagnosis of genetic hearing loss. and recently, lifestyle medicine is being employed to highlight the benefit of preventive medicine in the management of hearing loss. Human studies have remained the trend of genetic hearing loss research in recent years. There is an overwhelming interest, with reasonable insight gained into the pathophysiology and genetics of ARHL, but the interaction of genetics, lifestyle, and environment certainly complicates our ability to separate their individual contributions to this pathology. There is need to improve research in the role of lifestyle medicine in curbing presbycusis.