Abstract
The pathogeneses of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and age-related hearing impairment are not yet fully understood. If AMD and age-related hearing impairment are correlated, the cause of both may be a result of a common vulnerability. The aim of this study was to assess the interrelation between age-related macular degeneration and age-related hearing loss. Material and methods: In our case-control analysis, the hearing conditions of 40 subjects with AMD were compared with 40 age-matched healthy controls. In all patients, retinal changes were certified by clinical examinations, optical coherence tomography (OCT), and fluorescein angiography (FA). All subjects were inspected with pure tone audiometry (PTA), impedance audiometry, and speech audiometry. Results: A significant correlation (p < 0.001) was identified between age-related macular degeneration and age-related hearing impairment. The predominant hearing impairment in this case was sensorineural (SNHL). Of the patients diagnosed with AMD, SNHL was found in 88.89% of those with exudative macular degeneration and in 67.74% of those with atrophic macular degeneration. In contrast, we found that a significant proportion of the control group had normal hearing. Conclusion: One possible explanation for the association between retinal and cochlear impairment may be due to a melanin disorder.
Highlights
Macular degeneration is a multifactorial disorder of the retina and a major cause of central vision loss in the elderly
The average degree of hearing loss in varied subtypes of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) was notably different from the control group (Table 4). In this case-control study we remark that AMD was found to be statistically related to hearing impairment (p < 0.001), especially sensorineural hearing impairment (SHI)
From the patients diagnosed with AMD, SNHL was found in 88.89% of those with exudative macular degeneration and in 67.74% of those with atrophic macular degeneration
Summary
Macular degeneration is a multifactorial disorder of the retina and a major cause of central vision loss in the elderly. The prevalence of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) varies in different racial and ethnic groups around the world and rises with each decade after the age of 50. The etiology of AMD is not well-established; the main role has been assigned to retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) illness. Melanin in the RPE protects photoreceptor cells against light-related toxicity and plays a crucial role in the pathogenesis of AMD [1,2]. Small melanin density makes the cochlea more sensitive to oxidative damage and lipofuscin aggregation [4,5]. The present study aimed to analyse the association between macular and cochlear damage and to provide a summary report about the contribution of melanin to retinal and cochlear metabolic processes
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