Steve Montgomery

Painkillers Linked to Hearing Loss in Men

March 3, 2010

FROM RETAILWIRE:
A new study published in the American Journal of Medicine suggests there may be a link between regular use of popular over-the-counter painkillers and an increased risk of hearing loss in men under the age of 60. Will the study cause a drop in sales of aspirin and other over-the-counter painkillers?      [more...]

There are several issues that will determine the impact of this study has on aspirin and other pain medicine usage amongst men. First, and foremost, is the amount of awareness that is created. Many, many medical studies are released but for whatever reason don't get much publicity and therefore don't impact consumer behavior.

Second, while 33% of the men were more likely to suffer a hearing loss, the threat of a hearing lost will have to be weighed against the level of pain the person is incurring. What the news article didn't state is the level of usage that was involved. Was it two aspirin a day or a dozen? I expect that a few a day is not the issue, but the impact will also be determined by this metric.