Analysis of the potential association between noise-induced hearing loss and cardiovascular disease in USAF aircrew members.

Questions have been raised concerning the possible impact on health of populations exposed to excessive noise in their work- and leisure-time environments. The purpose of this investigation was to explore the relationship between noise-induced hearing loss and cardiovascular disease by examining the medical records of 2,250 Air Force aircrew members. In this correlative analysis, high-tone hearing loss diagnosed with a high probability of being noise-induced was interpreted as an indirect indicator of noise exposure. Cardiovascular function was measured in terms of recorded systolic and diastolic blood pressure and clinical diagnoses of cardiovascular diseases. Analyses consisted of comparing cardiovascular parameters in maximum and minimum hearing loss groups including polynomial regression curves for blood pressure data, and determining relative risk and attributable risk associated with noise-induced hearing loss for development of cardiovascular disease. Our analyses consistently failed to indicate any association between the degree of noise-induced hearing loss and cardiovascular function in the aircrew population.