Longitudinal Blood Pressure Patterns From Mid- to Late Life and Late-Life Hearing Loss in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study. Issue 3 (27th May 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Ting, James; Jiang, Kening; Du, Simo; Betz, Joshua; Reed, Nicholas; Power, Melinda C; Gottesman, Rebecca; Sharrett, A Richey; Griswold, Michael; Walker, Keenan A; Miller, Edgar R; Lin, Frank R; Deal, Jennifer A
• Editors: Lipsitz, Lewis A
• Is Part Of: Journals of gerontology. Volume 77:Issue 3(2022)
• Page Start: 640
• Page End: 646
• Publication Date: 2021-05-27
• Subjects: Cardiovascular -- Epidemiology -- Risk factors -- Sensory; Geriatrics -- Periodicals; Gerontology -- Periodicals; 618.97
• DOI: 10.1093/gerona/glab153
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1079-5006

Abstract

Abstract: Background: Hearing loss is prevalent and associated with adverse functional outcomes in older adults. Prevention thus has far-reaching implications, yet few modifiable risk factors have been identified. Hypertension may contribute to age-related hearing loss, but epidemiologic evidence is mixed. We studied a prospective cohort of 3343 individuals from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities study, aged 44–65 years at baseline with up to 30 years of follow-up. Methods: Hearing was assessed in late life (2016–2017) using a better-ear audiometric pure tone average (0.5, 1, 2, 4 kHz) and the Quick Speech-in-Noise (QuickSIN) test. Hypertension was defined as systolic blood pressure ≥140 mmHg, diastolic blood pressure ≥90 mmHg, or antihypertensive medication use. Midlife hypertension was defined by hypertension at 2 consecutive visits between 1987–1989 and 1996–1998. Late-life hypertension was defined in 2016–2017. Late-life low blood pressure was defined as a systolic blood pressure less than 90 mmHg or diastolic blood pressure less than 60 mmHg, irrespective of antihypertensive medication use. Associations between blood pressure patterns from mid- to late life and hearing outcomes were assessed using multivariable-adjusted linear regression. Results: Compared to persistent normotension, persistent hypertension from mid- to late life was associated with worse central auditory processing (difference in QuickSIN score = −0.66 points, 95% CI: −1.14, −0.17) but not with audiometric hearing. Conclusions: Participants with persistent hypertension had poorer late-life central auditory processing. These findings suggest that hypertension may be more strongly related to hearing-related changes in the brain than in the cochlea.