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Association between hearing loss and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein: the Kangbuk Samsung Cohort Study
Jihoon Kim1, Yesung Lee2, Eunhye Seo1
1Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Kangbuk Samsung Hospital, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Insights
Hearing loss (HL) is linked to cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. This study found an association between HL and increased high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) levels, a marker of inflammation, particularly in individuals over 40.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Otolaryngology
- Inflammation Research
Background:
- Hearing loss (HL) is increasingly recognized as a potential risk factor for cardiovascular diseases (CVDs).
- Inflammatory responses are implicated in the pathogenesis of both HL and CVD.
- Previous research on inflammatory biomarkers in HL lacked statistical significance.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the correlation between hearing loss (HL) and elevated high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) levels.
- To determine the association between HL and CVD risk through hsCRP as a mediator.
- To analyze these associations in different age groups.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional study of 566,507 workers (aged >18) and a longitudinal study of 173,794 workers (aged >18) were conducted between 2012 and 2018.
- Hearing loss was defined as an average pure-tone air conduction threshold of ≥20 dB at 0.5, 1.0, and 2.0 kHz in both ears.
- Logistic regression and generalized estimating equations were used to analyze the risk of increased hsCRP levels (>3 mg/L) associated with HL, stratified by age.
Main Results:
- The cross-sectional study showed a multivariate-adjusted odds ratio (OR) of 1.17 (95% CI: 1.02-1.34) for increased hsCRP in individuals with HL, with a higher OR of 1.28 (1.08-1.53) in those over 40.
- The longitudinal study indicated a multivariate-adjusted OR of 1.05 (95% CI: 0.92-1.19) for increased hsCRP with HL, and an OR of 1.20 (1.01-1.43) in those over 40.
- The association between HL and increased hsCRP was statistically significant in individuals aged over 40 years in both study designs.
Conclusions:
- This study demonstrates a significant association between hearing loss (HL) and elevated high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) levels.
- The association is particularly pronounced in individuals over the age of 40.
- These findings suggest a potential link between HL and cardiovascular disease risk mediated by inflammation in older adults.
Background:
Hearing loss (HL) is linked to an elevated risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). The pathogeneses of HL and CVD commonly involve inflammatory responses. Previous studies investigated elevated levels of inflammatory biomarkers in subjects with HL, however, their findings did not demonstrate statistical significance. In our cross-sectional and longitudinal study, we investigated the correlation between HL and increased high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) levels to determine how HL is associated with CVDs.
Methods:
We conducted a cross-sectional study with workers aged over 18 years who underwent health check-ups at our institution between 2012 and 2018 (n = 566,507), followed by conducting a longitudinal study of workers aged > 18 who underwent health checkups at least twice at our institution between 2012 and 2018 (n = 173,794). The definition of HL was as an average threshold of ≥ 20 dB in pure-tone air conduction at 0.5, 1.0, and 2.0 kHz in both ears. The incidence of increased hsCRP levels throughout the follow-up period was defined as a level exceeding 3 mg/L. Logistic regression and generalized estimating equations were performed to estimate the risk of increased hsCRP levels according to the occurrence of HL in groups stratified by age.
Results:
In the cross-sectional study, the multivariate-adjusted odds ratio (OR) was 1.17 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.02-1.34); the OR was 0.99 (95% CI: 0.80-1.22) in those under 40 and 1.28 (1.08-1.53) in those over 40. In the longitudinal study, the multivariable-adjusted OR was 1.05 (95% CI: 0.92-1.19); the OR was 1.10 (95% CI: 0.90-1.35) in those under 40 and 1.20 (1.01-1.43) in those over 40.
Conclusions:
This cross-sectional and longitudinal study identified an association between HL and increased hsCRP levels in workers aged over 40 years.
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