Fatty acids may is associated with a reduced risk of hearing loss, according to a recent study.

Researchers from Brigham and Women's Hospital found that consumption of two or more servings of fish per week could lower the risk of hearing loss in women by 20 percent. .

"Acquired hearing loss is a highly prevalent and often disabling chronic health condition," Sharon Curhan, corresponding author of the study, said in a statement. "Although a decline in hearing is often considered an inevitable aspect of aging, the identification of several potentially modifiable risk factors has provided new insight into possibilities for prevention or delay of acquired hearing loss."

For the study, researchers collected and analyzed data from the Nurses' Health Study II, a prospective cohort study. In the study, more than 65,000 women were followed from 1991 to 2009. At the end of the study, more than 11,000 cases of incident hearing loss were reported.

In comparison with women who rarely consumed fish, women who consumed two or more servings of fish per week had a 20 percent lower risk of hearing loss. When examined individually, higher consumption of each specific fish type was inversely associated with risk. Higher intake of long-chain omega-3PUFA was also inversely associated with risk of hearing loss.

"Consumption of any type of fish tended to be associated with lower risk," Curhan stated. "These findings suggest that diet may be important in the prevention of acquired hearing loss."

Researchers warn that although evidence suggests higher intake of fish and long-chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) may be associated with lower risk of hearing loss, prospective information is limited.

The findings were recently published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.