Obesity Independently Linked to Prevalence of Tinnitus

MONDAY, Dec. 15, 2025 (HealthDay News) -- Obesity is independently associated with an increased prevalence of tinnitus, according to a study published online Nov. 2 in Cureus.Ashir Ahtsham, from Lahore General Hospital in Pakistan, and colleagues examined the effect of obesity on the prevalence of tinnitus in the U.S. population using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2015 to 2016 and 2017 to 2018 cycles. The final analysis included 5,452 adults aged 20 years and older from NHANES.Tinnitus was reported by 17.2 percent of participants. The researchers found that older adults, men, and those who were obese or depressed more often had tinnitus. A higher prevalence was seen in adults with obesity versus those without obesity (20.3 versus 15.0 percent). In the unadjusted model, obesity was significantly associated with tinnitus (odds ratio, 1.44); after adjustment for demographic and other covariates, the association remained significant (odds ratio, 1.41)."These findings underscore the potential role of body weight and metabolic health in the development or progression of tinnitus," the authors write. "The substantial burden of obesity in recent years and its association with tinnitus highlight the importance of considering modifiable metabolic risk factors as part of comprehensive tinnitus management.Abstract/Full Text.Sign up for our weekly HealthDay newsletter

Obesity Independently Linked to Prevalence of Tinnitus

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