Obesity affects the association between Serum Klotho and age-related hearing loss: A cross-sectional study

The influence of obesity on the interplay between Klotho and age-related hearing loss (ARHL) requires further exploration. This study investigates the impact of obesity on the correlation between Serum Klotho levels and ARHL prevalence in a large cohort.

The present study analyzed data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) involving 3355 participants. Participants were stratified based on body mass index (BMI) into non-obese (BMI < 30 kg/m²) and obese (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m²) groups. We then assessed the interaction between serum Klotho levels and the risk of ARHL using multivariable logistic regression. Restricted cubic splines were employed to evaluate the dose-response relationship between serum Klotho and ARHL in both non-obese and obese groups.

In non-obese participants, serum Klotho levels were significantly associated with ARHL in both univariate (OR = 0.84, 95 % CI 0.77-0.93, p < 0.001) and multivariable analyses (OR = 0.88, 95 % CI 0.79-0.99, p = 0.034). A restricted cubic spline model confirmed a linear relationship between serum Klotho and ARHL in this group (p for non-linearity = 0.969). Conversely, no significant association was found in obese participants. These findings underscore a persistent association between serum Klotho and ARHL in non-obese individuals after adjusting for confounding factors.

Obesity appears to modulate the association between serum Klotho levels and age-related hearing loss, offering potential insights for improving prevention and management strategies for hearing impairment.