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Association Between Speech Reception Threshold in Noise and Multimorbidity: The UK Biobank Study
Humberto Yévenes-Briones1,2, Francisco Félix Caballero1,2, Ellen A Struijk1,2
1Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, School of Medicine, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain.
Summary
Poor hearing function is linked to multimorbidity, increasing the risk of multiple chronic diseases. This highlights potential shared biological pathways between hearing loss and various health conditions.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine
- Audiology and Speech Pathology
- Epidemiology and Public Health
Background:
- Hearing function, assessed via functional auditory capacity, is a crucial aspect of overall health.
- Multimorbidity, the presence of two or more chronic diseases, significantly impacts quality of life and healthcare utilization.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between functional auditory capacity and multimorbidity.
- To explore potential common biological pathways linking hearing impairment and chronic diseases.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional study utilizing data from 165,524 participants in the UK Biobank (2006-2010).
- Functional auditory capacity was measured using a digit triplet test, categorizing hearing into normal, insufficient, and poor based on speech reception threshold in noise (SRTn).
- Multimorbidity was defined as the presence of two or more of nine specified chronic diseases, analyzed using logistic regression models.
Main Results:
- The prevalence of insufficient and poor hearing function was 13%, and multimorbidity was 13.2%.
- Individuals with insufficient hearing function (SRTn ≥ -5.5 to ≤ -3.5 dB SNR) had 1.13 times higher odds of multimorbidity (95% CI: 1.08-1.18) compared to normal hearing.
- Those with poor hearing function (SRTn > -3.5 dB SNR) had 1.25 times higher odds of multimorbidity (95% CI: 1.14-1.37) compared to normal hearing.
Conclusions:
- A significant association exists between impaired hearing function and multimorbidity.
- These findings suggest shared underlying biological mechanisms may contribute to both hearing loss and the development of multiple chronic conditions.
