Qin Fang1, Zhichao Wang2, Yue Zhan2, Dan Li2, Kun Zhang2, Tao Zhou2, Handong Yang3, Ce Zhang3, Xiulou Li3, Xinwen Min3, Weihong Chen1, Huan Guo1, Mei-An He1, Weijia Kong2, Tangchun Wu1, Xiaomin Zhang4. 1. Department of Occupational and Environmental Health and Ministry of Education, Key Lab for Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China. 2. Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430022, China. 3. Dongfeng Central Hospital, Dongfeng Motor Corporation and Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, China. 4. Department of Occupational and Environmental Health and Ministry of Education, Key Lab for Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China. Electronic address: mingxz117@hust.edu.cn.
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The association between hearing loss and coronary heart disease (CHD) is inconsistent. We aimed to investigate the association of hearing loss with prevalent CHD and CHD-related biomarkers among a middle aged and elderly Chinese population. METHODS: We included 14,755 Chinese aged 64.6 years from the Dongfeng-Tongji Cohort in 2013. Hearing loss was classified into normal, mild, moderate or greater levels by the pure tone average (PTA) at low frequency and high frequency, respectively. Logistic regression models were used to estimate the odds ratios (ORs) of CHD risk in relation to hearing loss. Linear regression models were used to evaluate the effect of hearing loss on CHD-related biomarkers. RESULTS: The adjusted ORs for prevalent CHD increased gradually with the increasing hearing loss levels. Compared with normal hearing, individuals having mild- and moderate or greater-hearing loss had a higher CHD risk of 19% and 20% at low frequency, and 33% and 41% at high frequency, respectively (all p for trend < 0.05). The associations were more evident among subjects who were females, overweight, exposed to occupational noise and with hyperglycemia, hypertension or dyslipidemia at low frequency, and those with hyperglycemia at high frequency. Meanwhile, moderate or greater hearing loss combined with overweight, hyperglycemia, hypertension or dyslipidemia had joint effects on CHD. In addition, the majority of CHD-related biomarkers worsened with increasing hearing loss levels. CONCLUSIONS: There may be a dose-response relationship between hearing loss and CHD prevalence, and the association could partially be explained by intermediate CHD-related biomarkers.
BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The association between hearing loss and coronary heart disease (CHD) is inconsistent. We aimed to investigate the association of hearing loss with prevalent CHD and CHD-related biomarkers among a middle aged and elderly Chinese population. METHODS: We included 14,755 Chinese aged 64.6 years from the Dongfeng-Tongji Cohort in 2013. Hearing loss was classified into normal, mild, moderate or greater levels by the pure tone average (PTA) at low frequency and high frequency, respectively. Logistic regression models were used to estimate the odds ratios (ORs) of CHD risk in relation to hearing loss. Linear regression models were used to evaluate the effect of hearing loss on CHD-related biomarkers. RESULTS: The adjusted ORs for prevalent CHD increased gradually with the increasing hearing loss levels. Compared with normal hearing, individuals having mild- and moderate or greater-hearing loss had a higher CHD risk of 19% and 20% at low frequency, and 33% and 41% at high frequency, respectively (all p for trend < 0.05). The associations were more evident among subjects who were females, overweight, exposed to occupational noise and with hyperglycemia, hypertension or dyslipidemia at low frequency, and those with hyperglycemia at high frequency. Meanwhile, moderate or greater hearing loss combined with overweight, hyperglycemia, hypertension or dyslipidemia had joint effects on CHD. In addition, the majority of CHD-related biomarkers worsened with increasing hearing loss levels. CONCLUSIONS: There may be a dose-response relationship between hearing loss and CHD prevalence, and the association could partially be explained by intermediate CHD-related biomarkers.