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Meta-Analysis
. 2023 Dec 15;239(Pt 2):117392.
doi: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.117392. Epub 2023 Oct 12.

Association between air pollution and sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSHL): A systematic review and meta-analysis

Fatemeh Ranjdoost  1 , Mohammad-Ebrahim Ghaffari  2 , Faramarz Azimi  3 , Amir Mohammadi  4 , Reza Fouladi-Fard  5 , Maria Fiore  6
Affiliations
Meta-Analysis

Association between air pollution and sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSHL): A systematic review and meta-analysis

Fatemeh Ranjdoost et al. Environ Res. .

Abstract

Recent studies have indicated that air pollution (AP) has harmful effects on hearing and ear diseases such as Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss (SSHL). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of exposure to AP on SSHL incidence. Valid electronic databases were searched to retrieve studies published until December 1, 2022, using appropriate keywords. The result of the search was 1146 studies, and after screening according to the defined criteria, in total 8 studies were obtained. The risk of bias (ROB) in the studies and their quality were assessed. Finally, the meta-analysis with a significance level of 5% was performed. The findings revealed that the mean level of SO2, CO, NO2, and PM10 in the patient group was more than that of the control group, and p-values were 0.879, 0.144, 0.077, and 0.138, respectively. There was an indirect relation between air pollutants and SSHL, and PM2.5 showed a significant effect (p < 0.05). Given the limited research and the use of different statistical methods, more research is suggested to confirm this association and to determine the mechanisms by which AP exposure may cause SSHL.

Keywords: Air pollution; Ambient air; Exposure; Meta-analysis; PM(2.5); SSHL; Sudden sensorineural hearing loss.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of competing interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests:Reza Fouladi-Fard reports financial support was provided by The Deputy of Research and Technology of Qom University of Medical and was approved by the Ethics Committee of Qom University of Medical Sciences.

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