Table 1 Characteristics of participants in the UK Biobank

 Age, mean (SD), years

57.5 ± 7.9

56.8 ± 8.0

59.6 ± 7.3

 < .001

 Sex, No. (%)

 < .001

  Male

174,205 (46.3%)

124,974 (43.2%)

49,231 (56.5%)

  Female

202,259 (53.7%)

164,424 (56.8%)

37,835 (43.5%)

 Education years, mean (SD), years

13.8 ± 5.1

13.8 ± 5.1

13.7 ± 5.2

 < .001

 Number in household, mean (SD)

2.4 ± 1.2

2.4 ± 1.3

2.3 ± 1.2

 < .001

 Townsend deprivation index, mean (SD)

 − 1.6 ± 2.9

 − 1.6 ± 2.9

 − 1.5 ± 3.0

 < .001

 Average total household income before tax

 < .001

  Less than £18,000

71,597 (22.1%)

52,299 (21.0%)

19,298 (25.7%)

  18,000 to 30,999£

83,698 (25.8%)

63,034 (25.3%)

20,664 (27.5%)

  31,000 to 51,999£

85,554 (26.4%)

66,666 (26.8%)

18,888 (25.2%)

  52,000 to 100,000£

66,229 (20.4%)

53,021 (21.3%)

13,208 (17.6%)

  Greater than 100,000£

16,994 (5.2%)

13,983 (5.6%)

3011 (4.0%)

Body composition

 Body mass index, mean (SD), kg/m²

27.4 ± 4.8

27.3 ± 4.8

27.8 ± 4.7

 < .001

 Height, mean (SD), cm

168.8 ± 9.3

168.5 ± 9.2

169.6 ± 9.3

 < .001

 Weight, mean (SD), kg

78.3 ± 15.9

77.8 ± 15.8

80.3 ± 15.9

 < .001

 Waist circumference, mean (SD), cm

90.4 ± 13.5

89.7 ± 13.4

92.7 ± 13.4

 < .001

 Systolic blood pressure, mean (SD), mmHg

140.3 ± 19.7

139.9 ± 19.7

141.5 ± 19.4

 < .001

 Diastolic blood pressure, mean (SD), mmHg

82.3 ± 10.7

82.3 ± 10.7

82.4 ± 10.6

.005

Hearing condition

 Speech reception threshold (SRT), No. (%)

 < .001

  Normal (SRT <  − 5.5 dB)

120,676 (79.1%)

93,660 (83.5%)

27,016 (66.9%)

  Insufficient (− 5.5 dB to − 3.5 dB)

25,559 (6.8%)

15,901 (14.2%)

9658 (23.9%)

  Poor (SRT >  − 3.5 dB)

6262 (4.1%)

2577 (2.3%)

3685 (9.1%)

 Tinnitus, No. (%)

 < .001

  No, never

86,181 (70.8%)

70,981 (77.2%)

15,200 (51.1%)

  Yes, but not now, but have in the past

13,382 (11.0%)

9503 (10.3%)

3879 (13.0%)

  Yes, now some of the time

10,913 (9.0%)

6706 (7.3%)

4207 (14.1%)

  Yes, now a lot of the time

3114 (2.6%)

1557 (1.7%)

1557 (5.2%)

  Yes, now most or all of the time

8072 (6.6%)

3155 (3.4%)

4917 (16.5%)

 Tinnitus severity/nuisance, No. (%)

 < .001

  Not at all

11,412 (32.4%)

7750 (37.4%)

3662 (25.3%)

  Slightly

16,980 (48.2%)

9987 (48.1%)

6993 (48.3%)

  Moderately

5766 (16.4%)

2590 (12.5%)

3176 (21.9%)

  Severely

1075 (3.1%)

415 (2.0%)

660 (4.6%)

Environmental factor

 Noisy workplace, No. (%)

 < .001

  No

93,779 (76.4%)

74,566 (80.4%)

19,213 (64.0%)

  Yes, for less than a year

6681 (5.4%)

4892 (5.3%)

1789 (6.0%)

  Yes, for around 1–5 years

7068 (5.8%)

4775 (5.1%)

2293 (7.6%)

  Yes, for more than 5 years

15,268 (12.4%)

8566 (9.2%)

6702 (22.3%)

 Workplace very noisy, No. (%)

 < .001

  Rarely/never

51,657 (54.8%)

40,018 (56.2%)

11,639 (50.6%)

  Sometimes

33,097 (35.1%)

24,852 (34.9%)

8245 (35.8%)

  Often

9469 (10.0%)

6351 (8.9%)

3118 (13.6%)

 Daytime sound level of noise pollution, mean (SD), dB

55.3 ± 4.2

55.3 ± 4.2

55.3 ± 4.2

.530

 Evening sound level of noise pollution, mean (SD), dB

51.6 ± 4.2

51.6 ± 4.2

51.6 ± 4.2

.531

 Night-time sound level of noise pollution, mean (SD), dB

46.5 ± 4.2

46.5 ± 4.2

46.5 ± 4.2

.530

 16-h sound level of noise pollution, mean (SD), dB

54.4 ± 4.2

54.4 ± 4.2

54.4 ± 4.2

.530

 24-h sound level of noise pollution, mean (SD), dB

56.0 ± 4.2

56.0 ± 4.2

56.0 ± 4.2

.530

Lifestyle factor

 Loud music exposure frequency, No. (%)

 < .001

  No

107,501 (88.0%)

82,466 (89.2%)

25,035 (84.1%)

  Yes, for less than a year

3728 (3.1%)

2719 (2.9%)

1009 (3.4%)

  Yes, for around 1–5 years

5692 (4.7%)

3874 (4.2%)

1818 (6.1%)

  Yes, for more than 5 years

5285 (4.3%)

3388 (3.7%)

1897 (6.4%)

 Plays computer games, No. (%)

 < .001

  Rarely/never

292,742 (77.8%)

225,755 (78.0%)

66,987 (77.0%)

  Sometimes

69,425 (18.5%)

53,254 (18.4%)

16,171 (18.6%)

  Often

14,108 (3.7%)

10,249 (3.5%)

3859 (4.4%)

 Sleeplessness/insomnia, No. (%)

 < .001

  Rarely/never

82,336 (21.9%)

66,033 (22.8%)

16,303 (18.7%)

  Sometimes

178,250 (47.4%)

138,822 (48.0%)

39,428 (45.3%)

  Usually

115,588 (30.7%)

84,314 (29.2%)

31,274 (35.9%)

 Alcohol drinker status, No. (%)

 < .001

  Never

11,452 (3.0%)

9085 (3.1%)

2367 (2.7%)

  Previous

12,697 (3.4%)

9464 (3.3%)

3233 (3.7%)

  Current

351,947 (93.6%)

270,555 (93.6%)

81,392 (93.6%)

 Smoking status, No. (%)

 < .001

  Never

204,200 (54.4%)

161,672 (56.1%)

42,528 (49.0%)

  Previous

133,033 (35.5%)

97,518 (33.8%)

35,515 (40.9%)

  Current

37,957 (10.1%)

29,246 (10.1%)

8711 (10.0%)

Laboratory result

 Total cholesterol, mean (SD), mmol/l

220.7 ± 44.2

221.4 ± 44.0

218.3 ± 45.1

 < .001

 Triglycerides, mean (SD), mmol/l

155.6 ± 90.6

153.4 ± 89.6

163.1 ± 93.3

 < .001

 HDL cholesterol, mean (SD), mmol/l

56.1 ± 14.8

56.6 ± 14.8

54.3 ± 14.4

 < .001

 LDL cholesterol, mean (SD), mmol/l

137.9 ± 33.6

138.2 ± 33.5

136.8 ± 34.1

 < .001

Major chronic comorbidity

 Hypercholesterolemia, No. (%)

69,494 (18.5%)

48,556 (16.8%)

20,938 (24.0%)

 < .001

 Hypertension, No. (%)

111,888 (29.7%)

81,520 (28.20%)

30,368 (34.9%)

 < .001

 Heart failure, No. (%)

2619 (0.7%)

1779 (0.6%)

840 (1.0%)

 < .001

 Chronic kidney disease, No. (%)

5738 (1.5%)

4110 (1.4%)

1628 (1.9%)

 < .001

 Any stroke, No. (%)

7948 (2.1%)

5439 (1.9%)

2509 (2.9%)

 < .001

 Diabetic hypoglycemia, No. (%)

2171 (0.6%)

1536 (0.5%)

635 (0.7%)

 < .001

 Type 2 diabetes mellitus, No. (%)

14,971 (4.2%)

10,487 (3.8%)

4484 (5.5%)

 < .001

 Coronary artery disease, No. (%)

21,576 (5.7%)

14,161 (4.9%)

7415 (8.5%)

 < .001

Medication

 Use of ototoxic drugs, No. (%)

 (aspirin and/or ibuprofen consumption)

59,806 (22.5%)

44,584 (21.5%)

15,222 (25.9%)

 < .001