A common inherited genetic variant is a frequent cause of deafness in adults, meaning that many thousands of people are potentially at risk, reveals recent research.
The research was published online in the Journal of Medical Genetics.
Deafness in adults is known to be inherited.
But, unlike childhood deafness, the genetic causes largely remain a mystery, say the researchers, who suggest that their discovery makes it an ideal candidate for gene therapy.
Deafness is one of the most prevalent disabilities worldwide and has a major impact on the quality of life.
So far, 118 genes have been associated with the heritable form.
Variants in these genes explain a large proportion of congenital and childhood deafness, but not adult deafness.
This is despite the fact that between 30 per cent and 70 per cent of hearing loss in adults is thought to be inherited.