Association of all Cause and Cause-Specific Mortality With Hearing Loss Among US Adults: A Secondary Analysis Study

Objectives: Previous research revealed the relationship between hearing loss (HL) and all cause mortality. The aim of this study was to determine the association between HL and all causes and cause-specific mortality based on US adults. Methods: Data were obtained by linking National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) (2004-2013) with linkage to a mortality database to 31 December 2015. HL were categorized into four groups: good hearing, a little hearing difficulty, a lot of hearing difficulty, profoundly deaf. The relationship between HL and mortality risk was analyzed using Cox proportional hazards regression model. Results: Compared with the reference group (Good), those who had light or moderate hearing problems were at an increased risk of mortality for all causes (A little trouble-HR: 1.17; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.13 to 1.20; A lot of trouble-HR: 1.45; 95% CI: 1.40-1.51); deaf-HR: 1.54; 95% CI: 1.38-1.73) respectively. Conclusion: In addition, those in the deaf category have the highest risk of death from all causes and cause-specific cancer. More older adults are associated with an increased risk of all-cause mortality in American adults.