Affiliation:
1. Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences University of Colorado Boulder Boulder Colorado USA
2. Department of Otolaryngology and Communicative Sciences University of Mississippi Medical Center Jackson Mississippi USA
3. Department of Preventive Medicine Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine Chicago Illinois USA
Abstract
AbstractObjectivesEvaluate the relationship between cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors and cochlear function in African Americans.MethodsRelationships between hearing loss, cochlear function, and CVD risk factors were assessed in a cross‐sectional analysis of 1106 Jackson Heart Study participants. Hearing loss was defined as puretone average (PTA0.5,1,2,4) > 15 dB HL. Distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs) were collected for f2 = 1.0–8.0 kHz. Two amplitude averages were computed: DPOAElow (f2 ≤ 4 kHz) and DPOAEhigh (f2 ≥ 6 kHz). Based on major CVD risk factors (diabetes, current smoking, total cholesterol ≥240 mg/dL or treatment, and systolic blood pressure [BP]/diastolic BP ≥ 140/≥90 mmHg or treatment), four risk groups were created: 0, 1, 2, and ≥3 risk factors. Logistic regression estimated the odds of hearing loss and absent/reduced DPOAElow and DPOAEhigh by CVD risk status adjusting for age, sex, education, BMI, vertigo, and noise exposure.ResultsWith multivariable adjustment, diabetes was associated with hearing loss (OR = 1.48 [95% CI: 1.04–2.10]). However, there was not a statistically significant relationship between CVD risk factors (individually or for overall risk) and DPOAEs.ConclusionDiabetes was associated with hearing loss. Neither individual CVD risk factors nor overall risk showed a relationship to cochlear dysfunction.Level of Evidence2b.