Nanki Hura1,2, Isaac A Bernstein1,3, Leila J Mady4,5, Yuri Agrawal1, Andrew P Lane1, Nicholas R Rowan1. 1. Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD. 2. Department of Otolaryngology, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA. 3. Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA. 4. Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA. 5. Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Frailty is a syndrome characterized by reduced physiologic reserve and increased vulnerability to poor health outcomes. Disruption of sensorineural function appears to serve as a novel biomarker of frailty. Using population-level data, we sought to characterize the association between otolaryngic sensory dysfunction and frailty. METHODS: A cross-sectional analysis of the 2011-2012 US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey was performed on adults ≥40 years of age (n = 2138). Participants were grouped by subjective gustatory dysfunction (sGD), olfactory dysfunction (sOD), hearing loss (sHL), and measured hearing loss (mHL) with pure tone averages (PTAs). Frailty was operationalized using a continuous 36-item frailty index (FI) scored from 0 to 1, stratified in 4 categories ("non-frail," "vulnerable," "frail," or "most frail"). RESULTS: All sensory loss groups had significantly higher FI scores than those without sensory loss (sGD = 0.15; sOD = 0.14; sHL = 0.15; low-frequency mHL = 0.16; high-frequency mHL = 0.14 vs control = 0.11; p < 0.007 for all). "Vulnerable" individuals had increased odds of sOD (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 1.45; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.05-2.00), whereas "frail" individuals had increased odds of sOD (aOR, 1.85; 95% CI, 1.26-2.71) and low-frequency mHL (aOR, 4.01; 95% CI, 1.27-12.63). The "most frail" individuals had increased odds of sHL (aOR, 11.72; 95% CI, 2.88-47.66) and high-frequency mHL (aOR 5.10; 95% CI, 1.72-15.12). PTAs were linearly associated with FI (low: β = 10.15; 95% CI, 1.78-18.51; high: β = 19.85; 95% CI, 5.19-34.53). CONCLUSION: Otolaryngic sensory loss is associated with increased frailty. Independent association of frailty with measures of olfaction and hearing suggests that olfactory and hearing assessments may help identify at-risk individuals with modifiable risk factors.
BACKGROUND: Frailty is a syndrome characterized by reduced physiologic reserve and increased vulnerability to poor health outcomes. Disruption of sensorineural function appears to serve as a novel biomarker of frailty. Using population-level data, we sought to characterize the association between otolaryngic sensory dysfunction and frailty. METHODS: A cross-sectional analysis of the 2011-2012 US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey was performed on adults ≥40 years of age (n = 2138). Participants were grouped by subjective gustatory dysfunction (sGD), olfactory dysfunction (sOD), hearing loss (sHL), and measured hearing loss (mHL) with pure tone averages (PTAs). Frailty was operationalized using a continuous 36-item frailty index (FI) scored from 0 to 1, stratified in 4 categories ("non-frail," "vulnerable," "frail," or "most frail"). RESULTS: All sensory loss groups had significantly higher FI scores than those without sensory loss (sGD = 0.15; sOD = 0.14; sHL = 0.15; low-frequency mHL = 0.16; high-frequency mHL = 0.14 vs control = 0.11; p < 0.007 for all). "Vulnerable" individuals had increased odds of sOD (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 1.45; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.05-2.00), whereas "frail" individuals had increased odds of sOD (aOR, 1.85; 95% CI, 1.26-2.71) and low-frequency mHL (aOR, 4.01; 95% CI, 1.27-12.63). The "most frail" individuals had increased odds of sHL (aOR, 11.72; 95% CI, 2.88-47.66) and high-frequency mHL (aOR 5.10; 95% CI, 1.72-15.12). PTAs were linearly associated with FI (low: β = 10.15; 95% CI, 1.78-18.51; high: β = 19.85; 95% CI, 5.19-34.53). CONCLUSION: Otolaryngic sensory loss is associated with increased frailty. Independent association of frailty with measures of olfaction and hearing suggests that olfactory and hearing assessments may help identify at-risk individuals with modifiable risk factors.