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Macrolides are among the most commonly prescribed antibiotic classes for a wide range of indications, some of which (e.g., non-tuberculous Mycobacterial infections, Helicobacter pylori infections) warrant months-long treatment courses. While previous studies have pointed to the ototoxic effects of macrolide use (hearing loss and tinnitus), such findings have been inconsistent; thus, these adverse effects are rarely considered by prescribers when counseling and monitoring patients about macrolides.
Vanoverschelde et al. performed cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses of macrolide-linked ototoxicity in 4286 and 636 participants in the Rotterdam Study (begun in 1989 to examine the consequences of aging). Models were adjusted for factors suc…