Wang J, Liu M, Sung V, et al. - In this population-based cross-sectional study, researchers ascertained if differences in retinal vessel caliber (specifically wider venules and narrower arterioles) were correlated with hearing threshold and hearing loss in mid-childhood and midlife. Using retinal microvasculature and air conduction audiometry data at the main assessment center in 7 large cities in Australia, a total of 1,281 children and 1,255 attending parents were evaluated. Findings suggested an association of wider retinal venules and narrower retinal arterioles with hearing loss by midlife, with venular associations possibly emerging by age 11 to 12 years. Microvascular health can contribute to the pathogenesis of hearing loss throughout the course of life, warranting replication and mechanistic studies to inform causal inference and efforts to prevent it.