Relationship of cardiovascular disease risk and hearing loss in a clinical population

Abstract

Hearing loss has been associated with individual cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors and, to a lesser extent, CVD risk metrics. However, these relationships are understudied in clinical populations. We conducted a retrospective study of electronic health records to evaluate the relationship between hearing loss and CVD risk burden. Hearing loss was defined as puretone average (PTA0.5,1,2,4) > 20 dB hearing level (HL). Optimal CVD risk was defined as nondiabetic, nonsmoking, systolic blood pressure (SBP) < 120 and diastolic (D)BP < 80 mm Hg, and total cholesterol < 180 mg/dL. Major CVD risk factors were diabetes, smoking, hypertension, and total cholesterol ≥ 240 mg/dL or statin use. We identified 6332 patients (mean age = 62.96 years; 45.5% male); 64.0% had hearing loss. Sex-stratified logistic regression adjusted for age, noise exposure, hearing aid use, and body mass index examined associations between hearing loss and CVD risk. For males, diabetes, hypertension, smoking, and ≥ 2 major CVD risk factors were associated with hearing loss. For females, diabetes, smoking, and ≥ 2 major CVD risk factors were significant risk factors. Compared to those with no CVD risk factors, there is a higher likelihood of hearing loss in patients with ≥ 2 major CVD risk factors. Future research to better understand sex dependence in the hearing loss-hypertension relationship is indicated.

Kurtosis assessment of cardiovascular disease risk caused by complex noise in coal mines

“…Kurtosis has shown a strong correlation in studies assessing its association with cardiovascular disease risk. Some studies have indicated that different calculation time windows for kurtosis may influence its correlation with noise-induced health damage [19][20] , and the adjustment coefficient of kurtosis may also impact health risk assessment results [16] . Thus, the effects of calculation time windows and adjustment coefficients for kurtosis on the assessment of noise-induced health risks warrant further investigation.…”

“…Recent literature has unveiled an association between cardiovascular disease risk and hearing loss in clinical populations, with factors like diabetes, hypertension, and smoking being the primary influencing factors in males [20] . Therefore, when studying the relationship between noise and cardiovascular disease risk, considering hearing loss as an intermediary factor may yield promising results [21] .…”

Correlation of non-auditory comorbidities and hearing loss in tinnitus patients

“…This is for example the case with Diabetes mellitus, where the higher occurrence of sensorineural hearing loss with Diabetes type 1 and 2 is well documented, but the exact neuropathic mechanism is still under debate [33]. Furthermore, in cardiovascular dis-eases, the risk of developing a hearing loss and associated conditions like tinnitus is enhanced but the exact relationship has only been addressed by a few studies [34].…”

A machine learning screening model for identifying the risk of high-frequency hearing impairment in a general population

“…Currently, well-known HI risk factors in the general population include age [ 9 ], genetics, behavioural factors (e.g., smoking and exercise) [ 10 ], environmental exposures (e.g., noise exposure), health care utilization factors (e.g., immunization and antibiotics), and chronic disorders (e.g., hypertension and diabetes) [ 11 ]. Furthermore, various biomarkers involved in inflammation (such as increased white blood cell (WBC) counts, neutrophil (NE) counts, monocyte (MO) counts, and lymphocyte (LY) counts) and metabolic parameters (such as low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and high-density lipoprotein (HDL)) are also recognized as risk indicators of HI [ 12 ].…”