The association between amblyopia and the risks of hearing loss: A propensity matched analysis

Amblyopia occurs due to an imbalance in the visual input between the eyes. This can induce structural changes in the central nervous system and, if left untreated, eventually lead to permanent blindness in the affected eye. As these changes may also impact the auditory system, which closely interacts with the visual system, this study aimed to investigate the risk of hearing loss in patients with amblyopia.

This study was a retrospective review of the electronic medical records contained in a United States national database of medical records. Patients younger than 18 years old with and without amblyopia were matched and compared to evaluate the relative risk (RR) of having a hearing loss. Stratified analyses were further performed to explore whether the disease laterality and the amblyopia subtype influenced the risks.

Compared to the controls, patients with amblyopia had a higher overall risk of having hearing loss (RR: 1.09, CI: 1.03-1.14), specifically sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) (RR: 1.24, CI: 1.08-1.42). The stratified analysis further revealed that SNHL was associated with refractive amblyopia (RR: 1.84, CI: 1.50-2.26), but not strabismic amblyopia (RR: 1.23, CI: 1.10-1.38). The laterality of amblyopia did not influence the risk of hearing loss.

Children with amblyopia have a higher rate of SNHL than children without amblyopia. As vision and hearing are essential in the proper cognitive development, language acquisition, and social and emotional well-being of children, patients with amblyopia may benefit from more frequent audiologic screening.