Of a total of 343, the molecular genetic procedures were performed in 191 elderly. Of these, 31.9% reported a history of noise exposure, with 18.8% exhibiting hearing impairment. Of the 68.1% with no history of noise exposure, 59.2%had hearing loss. The mean age was 67.8 ± 5.3 years, with a higher proportion (58.6%) of elderly women (Table 1).