Hearing loss, genes

A new Brandeis University study of twins shows that genes play a significant role in hearing loss experienced by baby boomers and their parents. The research is published in the latest issue of the Journal of Gerontology: Medical Sciences.

The study examined 179 identical and 150 fraternal male twin pairs, 52 to 60 years old, as part of the Viet Nam Era Twin Study of Aging. About two-thirds of the hearing loss in the individual subjects' better ears could be attributed to genetic factors.

The research suggests that boomers whose parents lost hearing may have a similar loss, said Sergie Kochkin, director of the Better Hearing Institute. He suggests having parents get their hearing tested is a great present this holiday season. And boomers should get their hearing tested, too.

"This research confirms the importance of genetic factors in age-associated hearing loss, and the need for vulnerable individuals and their families to take extra care to prevent further hearing damage," said lead author, Brandeis neuroscientist Arthur Wingfield.

Wingfield, an expert on the relationship between memory performance and hearing loss in older adults, said even mild hearing loss can indirectly lead to declines in cognitive performance because intellectual energy normally reserved for higher-level comprehension must be directed toward perceptual effort for accurately hearing speech.

Hearing loss is the third most common chronic disability among older adults after arthritis and hypertension. It can strike at any time and at any age. Unaddressed, hearing loss can affect virtually every aspect of an individual's life. Untreated hearing loss has been connected to physical and emotional conditions such as irritability, negativism, anger, fatigue, tension, stress, depression, avoidance or withdrawal from social situations, social rejection and loneliness.

Male osteoporosis

Osteoporosis, often considered a woman's disease, also poses a threat to men. The National Osteoporosis Foundation says 12 million men are at risk of the disease, but it's often underdiagnosed. Right now, it says, one in five men will develop the condition and one in four will suffer a related fracture at some point.

The National Institutes of Health's Osteoporosis and Related Bone Diseases Natural Resource Center says the most common causes of secondary osteoporosis in men include low levels of testosterone, alcohol abuse, gastrointestinal disease, hypercalciuria and immobilization. As men age, bone health becomes increasingly important, according to expert Warren Levy of Unigene Laboratories, which is searching for effective drug treatments for the condition. He said that early screening can help identify patients who are at risk, who can take steps to reduce risk. If the condition develops, there are treatments.

The most commonly prescribed class of drugs is biophosphates, which work by inhibiting the osteoclast cells that remove bone. But some patients have experienced conditions that suggest the body may have lost its ability to repair and replace older or damaged bone, which is what the osteoclasts usually do.

The company is now offering a peptide-based, nasally delivered treatment that so far seems to have few long-term negative effects. Now it's working on an oral version of the drug, which is called Fortical.