SynthesisBMJ open2018
Is smoking a risk factor for tinnitus? A systematic review, meta-analysis and estimation of the population attributable risk in Germany.
Synthesis in BMJ open, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 27 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
27 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Low Evidence for Tinnitus Risk Factors: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.Journal of the Association for Research in Otolaryngology : JARO · 2023Pooled it
- Potential protective role of soluble fiber in mitigating tinnitus symptoms: A case-control study.IBRO neuroscience reports · 2026Article
- Repurposing Renin-Angiotensin System Drugs for the Treatment of Audiovestibular Disorders.Journal of clinical medicine · 2026Review
- Translation and Validation of the Portuguese Version of European School for Interdisciplinary Tinnitus Research Screening Questionnaire (ESIT-SQ-PT).Audiology research · 2025Article
- Safe Sound: Highlighting Electronic Dance Music Attendees' Unique Hearing Protection Practices.The Laryngoscope · 2025Article
- Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) for Managing Tinnitus, Hyperacusis, and Misophonia: The 2025 Tonndorf Lecture.Brain sciences · 2025Article
- The link between tinnitus and menstrual cycle disorders in premenopausal women.Scientific reports · 2025Article
- Tinnitus: Clinical Insights in Its Pathophysiology-A Perspective.Journal of the Association for Research in Otolaryngology : JARO · 2024Review
- Association of oxidative balance score with hearing loss and tinnitus: NHANES 1999-2018.Frontiers in nutrition · 2024Article
- Systematic replication of smoking disease associations using survey responses and EHR data in the All of Us Research Program.Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association : JAMIA · 2023Article
- Current and Emerging Therapies for Chronic Subjective Tinnitus.Journal of clinical medicine · 2023Review
- Measuring the Effect of Smoking on Hearing and Tinnitus Among the Adult Population in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.Cureus · 2023Article
- Relationship between tinnitus and olfactory dysfunction: audiovisual, olfactory, and medical examinations.Frontiers in public health · 2023Article
- Review
- Sex-Specific Prevalence, Demographic Characteristics, and Risk Factors of Tinnitus in the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos.American journal of audiology · 2022Article
- Herbal medicines in the treatment of tinnitus: An updated review.Frontiers in pharmacology · 2022Review
- Article
- Nicotine induced ototoxicity in rat cochlear organotypic cultures.Translational neuroscience · 2021Article
- Multidisciplinary Tinnitus Research: Challenges and Future Directions From the Perspective of Early Stage Researchers.Frontiers in aging neuroscience · 2021Review
- Tinnitus Update.Journal of clinical neurology (Seoul, Korea) · 2021Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectiveTo assess the epidemiological association of smoking status and tinnitus with a systematic review and meta-analysis and to estimate the population attributable risk in Germany. DATA SOURCES: A systematic literature search in PubMed and ISI-Web of Science Core Collection resulted in 1026 articles that were indexed until 15 September 2015. Additionally, proceedings of the international tinnitus seminars and reference lists of relevant articles were screened. STUDY SELECTION: Two reviewers searched independently for epidemiological studies. Tinnitus as a manifestation of tumours, vascular malformations, specific syndromes or as a consequence of surgical and medical treatment was not considered. Moreover, studies conducted among patients of ear, nose and throat clinics were excluded. DATA EXTRACTION: If only raw data were provided, effect sizes were calculated. Further unpublished data were received by corresponding authors. DATA SYNTHESIS: Data of 20 studies were pooled. Current smoking (OR 1.21, 95% CI 1.09 to 1.35), former smoking (OR 1.13, 95% CI 1.01 to 1.26) and ever smoking (OR 1.20, 95% CI 1.11 to 1.30) were significantly associated with tinnitus. Moreover, sensitivity analyses for severe tinnitus (OR 1.32, 95% CI 1.10 to 1.58) and for studies of superior quality (OR 1.15, 95% CI 1.03 to 1.29) showed increased risks. According to this, the population attributable risk estimate in Germany is 3.5%.
conclusionThere is sufficient evidence that smoking is associated with tinnitus. As the review mainly consists of cross-sectional studies, the observed correlation does not give evidence of a causal relationship. Due to the impact of various confounders, further research is needed to provide more evidence on the strength of association and causal relationships.
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