Introduction:

Aging constitutes the main demographic problem in Cuba, and hearing loss is one of the most frequent chronic conditions in older adults.

Objective:

To describe the clinical and epidemiological characteristics of elderly patients with hearing loss, treated in Calixto Gracía University Hospital during the period from September 2015 to September 2016.

Material and Method:

A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in “Calixto Gracía” University Hospital during the period from September 2015 to September 2016. The population (N) was composed of 387 elderly patients, who went to the doctor´s office during the period under study.

Results:

Hearing loss predominated in patients aged from 65 to 79 years (67,2%), and the male sex was the most affected by this disability (69,5%). Hearing loss in the elderly was frequently associated with other chronic conditions such as cardiovascular diseases. Age-related hearing loss (Presbycusis) or hearing loss associated with age was the most frequent cause of deafness.

Conclusions:

Hearing loss was a frequent disability in male elderly patients. It was associated with non-communicable chronic diseases. Sensorineural and mixed hearing losses of moderate and severe intensity were the most frequent ones found in the tonal audiometry.

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