Table 1.
Sex differences in hearing
| Study | Subjects | Hearing test | Results |
|---|---|---|---|
| [26] | 182 women | ABR | Shorter wave V latency in women |
| 137 men | Larger wave V amplitude in women at all ages (25–55 years) | ||
| [25] | 10 young women | ABR | Shorter latencies in women |
| 10 young men | Greater amplitudes in women | ||
| [27] | 19–25/50–70 year old subjects | ABR | Shorter interpeak intervals I–V in women |
| 20 women | Greater wave V amplitude in women | ||
| 20 men | Longer wave latencies in old subjects compared to young ones (for both sex) | ||
| Changes in wave V latency as a function of age is larger for women | |||
| [28] | 56 women | SOAEs | Increased prevalence of SOAEs in women compared to men |
| 75 men | |||
| [29] | 125 women | CEOAEs | Larger CEOAE waveform in women compared to men |
| 108 men | |||
| [33] | 48 women | SOAEs | More numerous and stronger SOAEs in women compared to men |
| 45 men | CEOAEs | Greater response amplitude of CEOAEs in women compared to men | |
| [40] | Longitudinal study | Audiometry | Increased hearing sensitivity at frequencies above 1 kHz in women compared to men |
| 461 women | (0.5–8 kHz) | Decreased hearing sensitivity at lower frequencies in women compared to men | |
| 681 men | Hearing threshold increases more than twice as fast in men compared to women, at most frequencies | ||
| Age of hearing loss onset is later in women than in men at most frequencies | |||
| [38] | 473 participants | Audiometry | Increased hearing sensitivity in 70 year old women compared to age-matched men in the 4–8 kHz frequency range |
| (0.25–8 kHz) | Increased hearing sensitivity in 75 year old women compared to age-matched men in the 1–8 kHz frequency range | ||
| [39] | 902 women | Audiometry | Increased hearing sensitivity in women compared to age-matched men at 4 and 8 kHz |
| 214 men | (0.25–8 kHz) | Men have faster rates of threshold increase compared to women at 4 and 8 kHz | |
| [41] | 24 epidemiological studies |
Audiometry Self-reported hearing impairment |
Above 70 years of age, men have increased prevalence of a 30 dB hearing loss compared to women |
| [31] | 18650 participants |
Audiometry (0.5–6 kHz) |
Men have increased prevalence of hearing loss compared to women |
| [32] | 9208 women |
Audiometry (0.25–8 kHz) |
Increased hearing sensitivity in women at 3 kHz, 4 kHz, and 6 kHz compared to age-matched men (12–85 years old) |
| 6398 men | |||
| [30] | 1878 women |
Audiometry (0.25–8 kHz) |
Men have increased risk of speech frequency hearing impairment (average of thresholds at 0.5, 1, 2 and 4 kHz > 25 dBs) |
| 1953 men |
ABR Auditory Brainstem Response, SOAEs Spontaneous Otoacoustic Emissions, CEOAEs Click-Evoked Otoacoustic Emissions, kHz kilo Hertz (sound frequency), dBs Decibels (sound intensity)