Abstract
Statins have emerged as protective agents against sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) associated with dyslipidemia, but the effects of statins on SNHL are not consistent. The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between statin use and the risk of SNHL using a hospital cohort. This nested case-control study included type 2 diabetic patients over the age of 18 years without a history of hearing loss. Of these, 1379 patients newly diagnosed with SNHL or tinnitus were classified as cases, and 5512 patients matched to the cases based on age, sex, and index year were classified as controls. Chi-squared tests were used to compare categorical variables between the two groups. Odds ratios (ORs) and adjusted odds ratios (AOR) were calculated from univariate and multivariable unconditional logistic regression analyses, respectively. There was a significant difference in the prevalence of statin use between the cases and controls (53.7% vs. 61.2%, respectively; p < 0.001). The use of statins in type 2 diabetic patients significantly reduced the risk of SNHL or tinnitus by 24.8% (95% CI 14.2–34.1%, p < 0.001) after controlling for confounders. Similar results were found for the association between statin use and SNHL (AOR = 0.706; 95% CI 0.616–0.811, p < 0.001). The protective effects of statins against SNHL were consistent regardless of age and sex. The use of statins for type 2 diabetic patients was significantly associated with a reduced risk of SNHL, regardless of age and sex. Further studies are needed, especially large cohort studies, to evaluate the long-term protective effects of statins.
Highlights
Hearing loss is one of the least visible but most uncomfortable diseases
Among 50,129 patients who were eligible for this study, 35 patients were excluded due to presbycusis, deafness, or conductive hearing loss during the study period (Figure 1)
This study revealed that the use of statins in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) significantly reduced the risk of sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) or tinnitus by 26.3%
Summary
Hearing loss is one of the least visible but most uncomfortable diseases. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), over 5% of the world’s population (432 million adults and 34 million children) has hearing loss and over 900 million people will develop hearing loss by 2050 [1]. Approximately one-third of people over 65 years of age are affected by hearing loss with the prevalence in this age group being greatest in South. Among the Korean population aged 19 years or older, the prevalence of unilateral hearing loss was 9.69% [2]. People with hearing loss experience communication difficulties and suffer from decreased quality of life, isolation, loneliness, and frustration [3]. It is impossible to completely recover to a normal state over a short period, except when hearing aids or cochlear implants are used
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