Expenditures for Nonspecific Back Injuries in the Workplace

Abstract

Reports on a potential relationship between noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) and cardiovascular as well as biochemical measures are controversial. This study compares the means of certain cardiovascular and biochemical measures in subjects with NIHL with those in subjects exposed to similar occupational noise, but demonstrating normal hearing. This might indicate certain predisposing factors for NIHL. Eight hundred noise-exposed subjects were divided into two age-matched hearing groups (NIHL and normal hearing). The results showed that the mean values of all the variables examined in both hearing groups were within the normal range. No significant differences were found between the two groups in terms of the distribution of subjects for the indices measured.