Abstract
BackgroundThe relationship between kidney function and hearing loss has long been recognized, but evidence of this association mostly comes from small observational studies or other populations. The aim of this study is to explore the association between reduced kidney function and hearing loss in a large population-based study among the middle-aged and elderly Chinese.MethodsData collected from the Chinese Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) in 2015 were used for analysis. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 12,508 participants aged 45 years and older. Hearing loss, the outcome of this study, was defined according to interviewees’ responses to three survey questions related to hearing in the CHARLS. Estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was employed to assess kidney function, and participants were classified into three categories based on eGFR: ≥90, 60–89 and < 60 mL/min/1.73 m2. Multivariable logistic regression was employed to adjust for potential confounders, including demographics, health-related behaviors, and cardiovascular risk factors.ResultsThe overall prevalence of self-reported hearing loss in the study population was 23.6%. Compared with participants with eGFR ≥90 mL/min/1.73 m2, participants with eGFR of 60–89 mL/min/1.73 m2 (odds ratio [OR]: 1.11, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.00–1.23) and eGFR < 60 mL/min/1.73 m2 (OR: 1.25, 95% CI: 1.04–1.49) showed increased risk of hearing loss after adjusting for potential confounders.ConclusionsReduced kidney function is independently associated with hearing loss. Testing for hearing should be included in the integrated management of patients with chronic kidney disease.
Highlights
The relationship between kidney function and hearing loss has long been recognized, but evidence of this association mostly comes from small observational studies or other populations
A total of 12,508 participants were included in the final dataset for analysis
Significant differences in hearing loss prevalence were observed among participants of different age, educational background, area of residence, smoking status, drinking status, BMI, chronic health status, systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), and Estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR)
Summary
The relationship between kidney function and hearing loss has long been recognized, but evidence of this association mostly comes from small observational studies or other populations. The aim of this study is to explore the association between reduced kidney function and hearing loss in a large population-based study among the middle-aged and elderly Chinese. Hearing loss in adults brings about communication difficulties in daily life and has negative effects on an individual’s cognitive and psychosocial function. Hearing loss could lead to social isolation, financial strain, and a low health-related quality of life [2,3,4]. The effects of aging on the auditory system are considered the leading cause of adult-onset hearing loss [5]. The association between hearing loss and genetic mutations [6], noise exposure [7], use of ototoxic drugs in treatment [8, 9], and chronic diseases such as hypertension and diabetes [10, 11] has been demonstrated in existent studies
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