Overview

The Apple Hearing Study update reports associations between greater tinnitus severity and lower heart rate variability, an indicator of autonomic stress load.

Key Findings

• Lower HRV was associated with louder, more frequent, or longer-lasting tinnitus symptoms.
• Stress was one of the most frequently reported tinnitus triggers after noise exposure.
• HRV may serve as an objective biomarker for tracking stress-related tinnitus change over time.

Clinical Takeaway

Stress regulation strategies are clinically relevant in tinnitus care because autonomic load may influence symptom intensity.