A publication of the American Journal of Audiology.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors and idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss (ISSNHL) disease severity and recovery. It was a retrospective medical chart review of 90 patients. We found that the prognosis of low-frequency ISSNHL recovery is worse among current/former smokers than nonsmokers. Other CVD risk factors and aggregate risk are not significantly related to recovery.

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A publication of Laryngoscope Investigative Otolaryngology.

Hearing loss is a prevalent chronic condition that poses a major public health concern. Among persons in the United States aged ≥12 years, ~38 million are estimated to have hearing loss and by 2040, ~63 million adults (≥20 years) are projected to have hearing loss. Depression, social isolation, accelerated cognitive decline, and increased fall risk have been independently associated with hearing loss hence understanding its risk factors is of public health and clinical significance.

Medical comorbidities including hypertension, and diabetes have significant relationships to hearing loss, as have modifiable behaviors such as tobacco smoking. Epidemiological studies have explored associations with various cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk metrics, which are used to determine overall risk factor load based on the status of multiple CVD risk factors. These studies have yielded mixed results. For example, metabolic syndrome was associated with hearing loss in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) but not in the Korean NHANES. Tan et al. reported a graded association between Framingham Risk Score and hearing loss in the Busselton Healthy Ageing Study. The Epidemiology of Hearing Loss Study reported that a history of myocardial infarction was associated with cochlear (inner ear) impairment in older women. That study assessed cochlear integrity with otoacoustic emissions (OAEs), low-level sounds produced by healthy cochleae that provide a barometer of auditory health independent of the behavioral audiogram. However, research on the association between CVD risk status and cochlear function remains limited, especially at the population level.

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A publication of .

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 (PTA_0.5,1,2,4) > 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.

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