Generalized Arteriosclerosis and Changes of the Cochlea in Young Adults

Abstract

Degeneration of the cochlea, especially in the basal turn, was already apparent in young adults with generalized arteriosclerosis.

Relationship of stroke risk and hearing loss in African Americans: The Jackson Heart Study

“…Evidence of microvascular disease affecting the high‐ and low‐frequency regions of the cochlea has been found in multiple temporal bone studies. Nomiya et al performed a temporal bone cadaver study of young adults (23‐36 years old) with generalized arteriosclerosis compared to age matched controls and found degeneration of the cochlea, especially in the basal turn, of the arteriosclerosis group . Moreover, histopathological studies of aging gerbils has shown similar results with atrophy of the stria vascularis in the apical and basal turns, providing evidence for microvascular involvement in age‐related hearing loss .…”

“…Hearing loss has also been associated with other microischemic pathologies such as retinopathy and chronic kidney disease . A histological study of cadaveric temporal bones has shown that strial atrophy is the most prominent finding in the aging cochlea, and this process is more prominent in elderly patients with presbycusis and also in younger patients with generalized arteriosclerosis compared to aged matched controls . Although these studies support the hypothesis that compromised cochlear vascularity is involved in hearing loss, the relationship to stroke risk score has not been studied.…”

“…The cochlea is a complex organ enriched with an equally complex vasculature that is primarily supplied by the spiral modiolar artery, a terminal artery. Therefore, the cochlea is vulnerable to changes in blood flow and hypoxia, which occur gradually in arteriosclerosis and is a hallmark of microvascular disease . There is increasing evidence in the literature reporting associations between cardiovascular disease and its risk factors with hearing loss, possibly in part through a mechanism of microvascular disease leading to ischemia of the cochlea and atrophy of the stria vascularis .…”

Cochlear Histopathologic Findings in Patients With Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

“…The stria vascularis requires a high level of blood supply to maintain the endocochlear potential levels and that the impaired homeostasis of the cochlear blood supply due to arteriosclerosis results in degeneration of the stria vascularis (22, 23). A human temporal bone study by Nomiya et al showed that patients with arteriosclerosis had a decreased number of cochlear hair cells, as compared with normal controls (24). In our study, the area of the stria vascularis in our human temporal bone samples from SLE patients was small, but did not significantly correlate with the duration of SLE.…”

Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo and Clinical Test of Sensory Interaction and Balance in Ankylosing Spondylitis

“…Because degeneration of the cochlea has been found to be apparent in young adults with generalized arteriosclerosis (14), to minimize the potential influence of atherosclerosis in the development of vestibular abnormalities, as previously reported, all AS patients seen during the period of recruitment that had experienced cardiovascular disease, including ischemic heart disease (angina or myocardial infarction electrocardiographically confirmed), heart failure, cerebrovascular events (transient ischemic attacks or strokes confirmed by magnetic resonance imaging and/or computerized tomography brain scan) or peripheral arterial disease (confirmed by Doppler and/or arteriography), or renal insufficiency (serum creatinine values in all individuals included in this study had to be less than 1.3 mg/dl, which is considered the upper normal range in our laboratory), were excluded (4).…”