Oral magnesium intake reduces permanent hearing loss induced by noise exposure.
Level 2 - randomized trial
Individual randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial
PubMed 8135325 · doi:10.1016/0196-0709(94)90036-1
What was done
In a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, 300 young, healthy, normal-hearing military recruits undergoing 2 months of basic training with impulse noise exposure (while using earplugs) were randomized to receive a daily drink containing either 6.7 mmol (167 mg) magnesium aspartate or sodium aspartate placebo. Investigators measured noise-induced permanent hearing threshold shifts (NIPTS), red blood cell and mononuclear cell magnesium content, and side effects.
What was found
NIPTS was significantly more frequent and more severe in the placebo group than in the magnesium group, particularly for bilateral damage. NIPTS was negatively correlated with magnesium concentrations in red blood cells and mononuclear cells. No notable adverse effects were observed. The abstract does not report exact numerical incidence rates, threshold shift values, or p-values.
Why it matters
Oral magnesium intake may offer a low-cost, well-tolerated prophylactic intervention to protect against permanent hearing damage in settings with hazardous acoustic trauma.
Limits
The abstract provides no raw counts, percentages, effect sizes, or confidence intervals. The findings are restricted to young, healthy recruits exposed specifically to military impulse noise alongside earplug use, which may not generalize to continuous noise exposure or broader populations.
Cited by
- supports Clinical trials in military recruits undergoing mandatory service showed that prophylactic magnesium supplementation reduced noise-induced hearing loss from weapons exposure.