Migraine increases the proportion of sudden sensorineural hearing loss: A longitudinal follow-up study

Abstract

ObjectiveThe aim of the present study was to investigate the proportion of sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) patients in a representative population cohort with migraine. MethodsThe Korean National Health Insurance Service-National Sample Cohort was collected from 2002 to 2013. A total of 45,114 migraine participants (the migraine group) were matched according to age, sex, income, region of residence, hypertension, diabetes, and dyslipidemia with 180,456 controls (the control group). The migraine group included participants diagnosed with migraine (International Classification of Disease [ICD]-10: G43) who underwent treatment ≥2 times. The SSNHL was investigated based on the ICD-10 (H912) code and confirmed by an audiometry exam and steroid treatment. Histories of hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia, ischemic heart disease, stroke, depression, Meniere’s disease, and tinnitus were evaluated using ICD-10 codes. Crude (simple) and adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) of SSNHL associated with migraine were analyzed using the Cox proportional hazards model. Subgroup analyses were conducted according to age and sex. ResultsIn total, 0.9% (399/44,714) of the migraine patients and 0.6% (1,169/179,287) of the controls were diagnosed with SSNHL (P<0.001). The adjusted HR of migraine for SSNHL was 1.34 (95% confidence interval [CI]=1.19–1.50, P<0.001). Both patient age subgroups (20–59years old and ≥60years old) showed high adjusted HRs for SSNHL. Both the men and women presented an elevated proportion of SSNHL cases. ConclusionMigraine patients had a higher likelihood of SSNHL. All age and sex migraine subgroups showed an elevated proportion of SSNHL cases.