Pablo Martinez-Amezcua1,2, Pei-Lun Kuo3, Nicholas S Reed1,2, Eleanor M Simonsick3,4, Yuri Agrawal5, Frank R Lin1,2, Jennifer A Deal1,2, Luigi Ferrucci3, Jennifer A Schrack1. 1. Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA. 2. Cochlear Center for Hearing and Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA. 3. Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Aging, Baltimore, Maryland, USA. 4. Division of Geriatric Medicine and Gerontology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA. 5. Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Although hearing impairment (HI) is linked to poorer physical functioning, the longitudinal associations between HI and higher-level functional measures are unclear. METHOD: Data are from the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging (2012-2019). Using pure-tone audiometry, we categorized hearing into normal, mild, and moderate or greater HI. Physical function was assessed with the expanded Short Physical Performance Battery (eSPPB) and walking endurance with time to walk 400 m. Multivariable and mixed-effects linear models tested the hypotheses that participants with HI, at baseline, have poorer physical performance and walking endurance, and faster decline over time (up to 6 measurements). In a subset (n = 526), we further adjusted for vestibular function. Among participants with HI, we evaluated the differences in eSPPB scores and walking endurance between hearing aid users and nonusers. RESULTS: Of 831 participants, 26% had mild, and 17% moderate or greater HI. After adjustment for demographics and medical history, moderate or greater impairment versus normal hearing was associated with poorer function (0.17 [95% CI: 0.09, 0.26] lower eSPPB score, and 13.3 [95% CI: 3.31, 23.4] seconds slower 400-m walk time) and faster decline in these parameters over 6 years. Adjustment for vestibular function did not attenuate these associations. Hearing aid users walked 400 m 24 seconds faster than nonusers (p = .001). CONCLUSION: Moderate or greater HI is associated with poorer initial and greater decline in higher-level physical performance. The observation that hearing aid users had better walking endurance suggests that screening for and treatment of HI may delay or slow progression of hearing-related functional decline.
BACKGROUND: Although hearing impairment (HI) is linked to poorer physical functioning, the longitudinal associations between HI and higher-level functional measures are unclear. METHOD: Data are from the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging (2012-2019). Using pure-tone audiometry, we categorized hearing into normal, mild, and moderate or greater HI. Physical function was assessed with the expanded Short Physical Performance Battery (eSPPB) and walking endurance with time to walk 400 m. Multivariable and mixed-effects linear models tested the hypotheses that participants with HI, at baseline, have poorer physical performance and walking endurance, and faster decline over time (up to 6 measurements). In a subset (n = 526), we further adjusted for vestibular function. Among participants with HI, we evaluated the differences in eSPPB scores and walking endurance between hearing aid users and nonusers. RESULTS: Of 831 participants, 26% had mild, and 17% moderate or greater HI. After adjustment for demographics and medical history, moderate or greater impairment versus normal hearing was associated with poorer function (0.17 [95% CI: 0.09, 0.26] lower eSPPB score, and 13.3 [95% CI: 3.31, 23.4] seconds slower 400-m walk time) and faster decline in these parameters over 6 years. Adjustment for vestibular function did not attenuate these associations. Hearing aid users walked 400 m 24 seconds faster than nonusers (p = .001). CONCLUSION: Moderate or greater HI is associated with poorer initial and greater decline in higher-level physical performance. The observation that hearing aid users had better walking endurance suggests that screening for and treatment of HI may delay or slow progression of hearing-related functional decline.
Authors: Jennifer A Deal; A Richey Sharrett; Karen Bandeen-Roche; Stephen B Kritchevsky; Lisa A Pompeii; B Gwen Windham; Frank R Lin Journal: J Am Geriatr Soc Date: 2016-04 Impact factor: 5.562
Authors: David S Chen; Joshua Betz; Kristine Yaffe; Hilsa N Ayonayon; Stephen Kritchevsky; Kathryn R Martin; Tamara B Harris; Elizabeth Purchase-Helzner; Suzanne Satterfield; Qian-Li Xue; Sheila Pratt; Eleanor M Simonsick; Frank R Lin Journal: J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci Date: 2014-12-03 Impact factor: 6.053
Authors: Anne Viljanen; Jaakko Kaprio; Ilmari Pyykkö; Martti Sorri; Satu Pajala; Markku Kauppinen; Markku Koskenvuo; Taina Rantanen Journal: J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci Date: 2009-01-31 Impact factor: 6.053
Authors: Janet S Choi; Joshua Betz; Jennifer Deal; Kevin J Contrera; Dane J Genther; David S Chen; Fiona E Gispen; Frank R Lin Journal: J Aging Health Date: 2015-11-09
Authors: Shekhar K Gadkaree; Daniel Q Sun; Carol Li; Frank R Lin; Luigi Ferrucci; Eleanor M Simonsick; Yuri Agrawal Journal: J Aging Res Date: 2016-09-27
Authors: Michael F Cosiano; Deanna Jannat-Khah; Frank R Lin; Parag Goyal; Michael McKee; Madeline R Sterling Journal: Clin Interv Aging Date: 2020-05-06 Impact factor: 4.458
Authors: Aishwarya Shukla; Michael Harper; Emily Pedersen; Adele Goman; Jonathan J Suen; Carrie Price; Jeremy Applebaum; Matthew Hoyer; Frank R Lin; Nicholas S Reed Journal: Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg Date: 2020-03-10 Impact factor: 3.497
Authors: Gill Livingston; Jonathan Huntley; Andrew Sommerlad; David Ames; Clive Ballard; Sube Banerjee; Carol Brayne; Alistair Burns; Jiska Cohen-Mansfield; Claudia Cooper; Sergi G Costafreda; Amit Dias; Nick Fox; Laura N Gitlin; Robert Howard; Helen C Kales; Mika Kivimäki; Eric B Larson; Adesola Ogunniyi; Vasiliki Orgeta; Karen Ritchie; Kenneth Rockwood; Elizabeth L Sampson; Quincy Samus; Lon S Schneider; Geir Selbæk; Linda Teri; Naaheed Mukadam Journal: Lancet Date: 2020-07-30 Impact factor: 79.321