Tinnitus is a prevalent subjective auditory sensation affecting over 740 million people worldwide and often co-occurs with various systemic diseases. To date, the relationship between tinnitus and thyroid hormones has not been thoroughly studied. This study aimed to investigate the association between tinnitus and thyroid hormone levels in US adults.
Findings are preliminary and based on cross-sectional survey data — no actionable change to tinnitus assessment or thyroid screening protocols is justified until stronger prospective evidence is available.
If confirmed by longitudinal studies, a link between low free T4 and tinnitus could open a new, potentially treatable pathway for a subset of tinnitus patients.
- 01Cross-sectional analysis of 2009–2012 US NHANES-era data examining free T4 and tinnitus prevalence.
- 02Low free T4 thyroid hormone levels were the primary exposure of interest.
- 03Study design limits causal inference — association does not establish that low T4 causes tinnitus.
- 04Findings may prompt investigation into thyroid function as part of tinnitus work-ups.
- 05Published in a peer-reviewed endocrinology/clinical journal (doi: 10.1016/j.endien.2026.501726).
Low free T4 values are associated with higher prevalence of tinnitus in US adults.
studypartially supported- PMID
- 42309570
- DOI
- 10.1016/j.endien.2026.501726.
- Journal
- Endocrinología e Nutrición (English Edition)
- Publication type
- research_article
- Evidence level
- 3
- Population
- US adults from national survey data (2009–2012)
- Intervention
- Low free T4 thyroid hormone levels
- Comparator
- Normal or higher free T4 levels
Primary outcomes
Prevalence of tinnitus