Low vitamin B12 level and vitamin D level adversely affect on cochlear health in women

Abstract. The aim of this study is to examine the association between low serum vitamin B 12 levels and low serum vitamin D levels and cochlear health in women. A prospective case–control study was carried out in the Department of Otolaryngology, Malatya Training and Research Hospital between 2017–2018. Thirty (30) patients with vitamin B 12 deficiency (a mean age of 32.5 ± 1.7 years(y) women); 30 patients with vitamin D deficiency (a mean age of 32.3 ± 1.58 y women) and 30 controls (a mean age of 27.8 ± 1.48 y women) were recruited. The study participants have no evidence of symptomatic hearing loss. Transiently evoked otoacoustic emissions (TEOAEs) and distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs) of the study participants were recorded. A comparative analysis of the parameters revealed that results at TEOAE 1,2,3,4 kHz (p = 0.013, p = 0.002, p = 0.001, p = 0.001, respectively) and at DPOAE 1, 2, 6 kHz ( p < 0.001, p < 0.001, p = 0.002, respectively) were somewhat lower in patients with vitamin B 12 deficient group when compared with the controls. Moreover, TEOAE 3,4 kHz (p = 0.005, p = 0.013 respectively) and DPOAE 1,2,6 kHz (p = 0.005, p = 0.01, p = 0.031, respectively) were lower in the vitamin D deficiency group compared with the controls. There was a significant association between both vitamin B 12 deficiency and vitamin D deficiency and cochlear health. Patients with vitamin B 12 and vitamin D deficiency should be evaluated for cochlear function.