Cardiovascular risk factors and hearing loss: The HUNT study. (2nd December 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Engdahl, Bo; Aarhus, Lisa; Lie, Arve; Tambs, Kristian
• Is Part Of: International journal of audiology. Volume 54:Number 12(2015:Dec.)
• Page Start: 958
• Page End: 966
• Publication Date: 2015-12-02
• Subjects: Epidemiology -- hearing loss -- smoking -- alcohol -- physical activity -- body mass index -- blood pressure -- blood lipids -- diabetes; Audiology -- Periodicals; Hearing disorders -- Periodicals; Deafness -- Prevention -- Periodicals; Hearing Disorders -- Periodicals; Hearing -- Periodicals; 617.8
• DOI: 10.3109/14992027.2015.1090631
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1499-2027

Abstract

Abstract: Objective : The purpose of the present paper was to examine the association between prospectively and cross-sectionally assessed cardiovascular risk factors and hearing loss. Design : Hearing was assessed by pure-tone average thresholds at low (0.25–0.5 kHz), middle (1–2 kHz), and high (3–8 kHz) frequencies. Self-reported or measured cardiovascular risk factors were assessed both 11 years before and simultaneously with the audiometric assessment. Cardiovascular risk factors were smoking, alcohol use, physical inactivity, waist circumference, body mass index, resting heart rate, blood pressure, triglycerides, total serum cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, and diabetes. Study sample : A population-based cohort of 31 547 subjects. Results : After adjustment for age, sex, level of education, income, recurrent ear infections, and noise exposure, risk factors associated with poorer hearing sensitivity were smoking, diabetes, physical inactivity, resting heart rate, and waist circumference. Smoking was only associated with hearing loss at high frequencies. The effects were very small, in combination explaining only 0.2–0.4% of the variance in addition to the component explained by age and the other cofactors. Conclusion : This cohort study indicates that, although many cardiovascular risk factors are associated with hearing loss, the effects are small and of doubtful clinical relevance.