Using Genetic Information to Explore Whether Preclinical Alzheimer's Disease Affects Hearing Difficulty. (16th December 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Brenowitz, Willa; Filshtein, Teresa; Yaffe, Kristine; Walter, Stefan; Hoffmann, Thomas; Jorgenson, Eric; Whitmer, Rachel; Glymour, Maria
• Is Part Of: Innovation in aging. Volume 4(2020)Supplement 1
• Page Start: 805
• Page End: 805
• Publication Date: 2020-12-16
• Subjects: Aging -- Periodicals; Gerontology -- Periodicals; 612.67
• DOI: 10.1093/geroni/igaa057.2922
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2399-5300

Abstract

Abstract: Underlying AD-related neurodegeneration or shared risk factors may influence hearing loss; in an innovative approach we tested whether genetic risk for AD also influences functional hearing loss. We studied 401, 084 UK Biobank participants aged 40-70, with Caucasian genetic ancestry, and enrolled 2007-2010. Participants self-reported hearing difficulty and were followed for AD diagnosis until 2018. A genetic risk score for AD (AD-GRS) was calculated as a weighted sum of 23 AD risk variants. In age-, sex-, and genetic ancestry- adjusted models higher AD-GRS was associated with problem hearing in ages 60+(OR= 1.03; 95%CI:1.00, 1.05), but not ages <60 (p>0.05). Using the AD-GRS as an instrumental variable for AD diagnosis, we estimated that incipient AD increased probability of difficulty hearing at enrollment by 45% (95%CI: 1%, 93%). Higher AD-GRS was associated with slightly higher odds of hearing difficulty in older adults. Genetics that predispose for AD also influence late-life hearing difficulty.