Objective We investigated the association between albumin levels and hearing loss.

Methods A cross-sectional analysis was conducted using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) for the periods 1999–2012 and 2015–2018. Participants aged ≥20 years were included. Data on albumin levels, hearing ability, and relevant covariates were collected.

Results The final sample comprised 12,133 adults with a mean age of 48.9 ± 17.5 years; 60.9% were non-Hispanic white, and 51.1% were men. Hearing loss was defined as a threshold of ≥20 dB. The odds ratios for low-frequency, speech-frequency, and high-frequency hearing loss were 0.69 (95% CI: 0.56–0.84, p < 0.001), 0.59 (95% CI: 0.49–0.73, p < 0.001), and 0.62 (95% CI: 0.51–0.76, p < 0.001), respectively.

Conclusions These findings suggest that albumin levels are significantly associated with hearing loss in adults in the United States. However, further research into the underlying mechanisms is needed.

The authors have declared no competing interest.

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This study was a secondary analysis of de-identified data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). The NHANES protocol was approved by the National Center for Health Statistics Research Ethics Review Board all participants provided written informed consent. As no new data were collected and all information is publicly available, additional institutional review board approval was not required for this secondary analysis.

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