Association of carotid intima-media thickness with the risk of sudden sensorineural hearing loss.

Chun-Hsien Ho,Teng-Yeow Tan,Chung-Feng Hwang,Ching-Nung Wu,Chao-Hui Yang,Wei-Che Lin

doi:10.7717/peerj.9276

Chun-Hsien Ho, Teng-Yeow Tan + Show 4 more

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https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.9276

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Journal: PeerJ	Publication Date: Jun 3, 2020
Citations: 4	License type: CC BY 4.0

Affiliation: Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital

Abstract

Cardiovascular factors are associated with the pathophysiological features and risk of sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL). However, little is known about the link between carotid intima-media thickness (IMT), SSNHL risk, and their respective treatment outcomes. In this study, we retrospectively reviewed 47 SSNHL cases and 33 control subjects from a single medical center and compared their demographic data and clinical characteristics, including their carotid IMT and audiological data. Of the 80 enrolled subjects, the proportion of those with high carotid IMT was greater in the SSNHL group (53.2%) than in the control group (21.2%), with an odds ratio (OR) of 4.22 (95% confidence interval (CI) [1.53–11.61], P = 0.004). Notably, high carotid IMT was more common in female SSNHL patients than females in the control group (54.2% vs. 12.5%; OR, 8.27 (95% CI [1.53–44.62]), P = 0.008), particularly in female patients ≥50 years of age (75% vs. 25%; OR, 9.0 (95% CI [1.27–63.9]), P = 0.032). The multivariate regression analyses showed the association between high carotid IMT and SSNHL with an adjusted OR of 4.655 (95% CI [1.348–16.076], P = 0.015), particularly in female SSNHL patients (adjusted OR, 9.818 (95% CI [1.064–90.587], P = 0.044). The carotid IMT was not associated with the treatment outcomes of SSNHL. Our results indicate that early-stage atherosclerosis may be associated with SSNHL, particularly in female patients more than 50 years old.

Highlights

Sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) is defined as a hearing loss of over 30 dB in three sequential frequencies developing within 3 days
Carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) in SSNHL and control subjects We enrolled a total of 80 subjects (40 males (50%) and 40 females (50%); mean (SD) age, 51.8 (12.6) years), including 47 SSNHL patients and 33 participants in the control group
High carotid IMT (IMT ≥ 0.65 mm) was significantly more common in the SSNHL group (53.2%, 25 of 47) than the control group (21.2%, 7 of 33) (OR, 4.22; 95% confidence intervals (CIs) [1.53–11.61]) (P = 0.004)

Summary

Introduction

Sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) is defined as a hearing loss of over 30 dB in three sequential frequencies developing within 3 days. Several etiological hypotheses, including vascular insults, How to cite this article Ho C-H, Tan T-Y, Hwang C-F, Lin W-C, Wu C-N, Yang C-H. Association of carotid intima-media thickness with the risk of sudden sensorineural hearing loss. The internal auditory artery supplies blood to the inner ear, which lacks collateral circulation (Merchant, Adams & Nadol, 2005). Previous studies have reported several cardiovascular risk factors for SSNHL. Studies showed that the risk of stroke was higher in SSNHL patients (Kim, Hong & Kim, 2018a; Lin, Chao & Lee, 2008) and vise versa (Kuo et al, 2016)

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