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Associations between hearing loss and clinical outcomes: population-based cohort study
Marcello Tonelli1, Natasha Wiebe2, Meg Lunney1
1Department of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada.
Eclinicalmedicine
|July 12, 2023
Summary
Hearing loss (HL) significantly increases the risk of numerous adverse health outcomes, including falls, hospitalization, and dementia. This highlights the substantial population health burden of HL and the need for better care strategies.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Epidemiology
- Gerontology
Background:
- Hearing loss (HL) is a major global disability, yet its full clinical impact and population burden remain understudied.
- Existing research has not fully captured the wide-ranging health consequences associated with hearing impairment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between hearing loss and a comprehensive set of clinical outcomes in a large adult population.
- To quantify the population-attributable burden of specific adverse outcomes linked to hearing loss.
Main Methods:
- A retrospective population-based cohort study involving over 4.7 million adults in Alberta, Canada (2004-2019).
- Utilized administrative health data to identify individuals with hearing loss (HL) and track comorbidities and clinical outcomes.
- Employed survival and rate-based statistical models to compare outcomes between those with and without HL, adjusting for confounders.
Main Results:
- Individuals with hearing loss (HL) exhibited higher baseline comorbidity prevalence.
- HL was associated with significantly increased rates of hospitalization, falls, adverse drug events, and emergency visits.
- Adjusted analyses revealed higher hazards for death, myocardial infarction, stroke/transient ischemic attack, depression, heart failure, dementia, pressure ulcers, and long-term care (LTC) placement in those with HL.
Conclusions:
- Hearing loss is prevalent and frequently co-occurs with multiple comorbidities, significantly elevating the risk for diverse adverse clinical outcomes.
- A notable proportion of adverse events like dementia and stroke are attributable to hearing loss, underscoring its preventable health burden.
- Increased investment and coordinated care strategies are essential to mitigate the population health impact of hearing loss.
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