Low Vitamin D Levels Associated with Hearing Loss in Meniere's Disease Patients: Study Finds
China: Low vitamin D levels may contribute not only to the development of Meniere's disease (MD) but also to the severity of associated hearing loss, a new study published in Frontiers in Neurology has revealed. Conducted by Dr. Yunqin Wu and colleagues from the Department of Neurology at Ningbo No. 2 Hospital, China, the research found that patients with MD had significantly lower serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels compared to healthy controls, with deficiency more than doubling the risk of MD.
The cross-sectional study enrolled 49 patients diagnosed with MD and 250 matched healthy controls between January 2023 and January 2025. Participants were carefully matched for demographic factors, comorbid conditions, physical activity habits, and seasonal timing of blood sample collection to minimize bias. Serum vitamin D levels and pure-tone audiometry (PTA) results were evaluated to explore possible associations between vitamin D status and hearing function.
The study led to the following findings:
- Patients with Ménière’s disease had lower average 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels compared to controls [18.4 ± 5.9 ng/mL vs. 21.1 ± 6.2 ng/mL].
- Vitamin D deficiency was independently associated with more than double the risk of Ménière’s disease (adjusted OR = 2.21).
- A moderate inverse correlation was observed between vitamin D levels and pure-tone audiometry thresholds.
- Lower vitamin D levels were linked to more severe hearing impairment.
The findings add to growing evidence implicating vitamin D in inner ear health and homeostasis. While the difference in mean vitamin D levels between patients and controls was relatively modest (2.7 ng/mL), its clinical significance was underscored by the strong independent association with MD and measurable impact on hearing loss severity.
However, the researchers also acknowledged several limitations. Since the study was cross-sectional, it cannot establish a causal relationship between low vitamin D and MD. Potential confounding factors—such as dietary intake of vitamin D and calcium, sun exposure, sunscreen use, and genetic variants related to vitamin D metabolism—were not fully captured. Additionally, objective audiometry was not performed in controls, and important biochemical markers such as calcium, phosphate, and parathyroid hormone were not assessed.
Clinical factors that may influence vitamin D status, including disease duration, frequency of vertigo attacks, bilateral involvement, and the use of vestibular suppressants, were also not analyzed. These elements could affect outdoor activity and, consequently, vitamin D levels, thereby influencing hearing outcomes indirectly.
Despite these limitations, the authors emphasize that their findings highlight the potential role of vitamin D deficiency in the pathogenesis of Ménière’s disease. They recommend larger, multicenter studies incorporating genetic profiling, lifestyle data, advanced imaging, and animal models to better understand the mechanistic links between vitamin D metabolism and MD.
"The study suggests that low serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels are associated with both an increased risk of Ménière’s disease and greater hearing loss severity. Addressing hypovitaminosis D may therefore represent a potential avenue for future preventive and therapeutic strategies in MD," the authors concluded.
Reference:
Wu, Y., Lai, Z., Li, A., Han, W., Liu, X., & Fan, W. (2025). Association of low serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels with hearing loss severity in Meniere disease: A cross-sectional study. Frontiers in Neurology, 16, 1638357. https://doi.org/10.3389/fneur.2025.1638357
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