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. 2015 Feb;238(2):344-9.
doi: 10.1016/j.atherosclerosis.2014.12.031. Epub 2014 Dec 20.

Subclinical atherosclerosis and increased risk of hearing impairment

Mary E Fischer  1 , Carla R Schubert  2 , David M Nondahl  3 , Dayna S Dalton  4 , Guan-Hua Huang  5 , Brendan J Keating  6 , Barbara E K Klein  7 , Ronald Klein  8 , Ted S Tweed  9 , Karen J Cruickshanks  10
Affiliations

Subclinical atherosclerosis and increased risk of hearing impairment

Mary E Fischer et al. Atherosclerosis. 2015 Feb.

Abstract

Objective: The study's purpose was to test if subclinical atherosclerosis was associated with the risk of developing HI in a large cohort of middle-aged participants.

Methods: Study subjects were members of the Beaver Dam Offspring Study (BOSS), a longitudinal study of adult children of participants in the population-based Epidemiology of Hearing Loss Study (1993-present). BOSS examinations took place in 2005-2008 (baseline) and 2010-2013 (5-year follow-up). The 5-year incidence of hearing impairment was defined as a pure-tone average (PTA) of thresholds at 0.5, 1, 2 and 4 kHz > 25 dB Hearing Level (dB HL) in either ear at follow-up among participants at risk (baseline PTA in both ears < = 25 dB HL; n = 2436, mean age = 47.7 years). Atherosclerosis was measured as the mean carotid intima-media thickness and the presence of carotid artery plaque.

Results: Among the 1984 participants at-risk with a follow-up audiometric examination, the 5-year incidence of hearing impairment was 8.3% (95% Confidence Interval (C.I.) 7.1, 9.5). With multivariable adjustment, carotid intima-media thickness was positively associated with hearing impairment incidence (Relative Risk (RR) = 1.14 per 0.1 mm, 95% C.I. 1.04, 1.24). The number of sites (0-6) with plaque was also positively associated with the incidence of impairment (RR = 1.16 per site, 95% C.I. 1.01, 1.32).

Conclusion: Atherosclerosis was associated with the 5-year incidence of hearing impairment in this predominantly middle-aged cohort. Interventions targeting atherosclerosis prevention may help to prevent or delay the onset of hearing impairment.

Keywords: Carotid artery plaque; Carotid intima-media thickness; Hearing impairment; Longitudinal cohort; Subclinical atherosclerosis.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest Disclosures: All authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Mean worse-ear hearing thresholds at baseline and at the 5-yr follow-up examination among those at-risk for developing hearing impairment. The thresholds at follow-up are shown by tertile of IMT at baseline (left) and by number of carotid artery sites with plaque at baseline (right).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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