Statins and Their Effect on Hearing: An All of Us Database Study

Area of Science:

• Otolaryngology
• Pharmacology
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Hearing loss affects a significant portion of the population and is linked to conditions like hyperlipidemia.
• Statins, prescribed for dyslipidemia, have shown potential protective effects in animal models of hearing loss, but human data remain inconclusive.
• This study addresses the need for clarity on statin use and its impact on auditory health in humans.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between statin use and the incidence of sensorineural hearing loss and tinnitus.
• To analyze the relationship between specific statins and auditory conditions within a large, diverse population.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective cohort study design was employed utilizing the All of Us research database, comprising over 710,000 participants.
• Patients diagnosed with hyperlipidemia were categorized based on statin exposure and the presence of sensorineural hearing loss or tinnitus.
• Logistic regression analyses were conducted, controlling for variables including aspirin use, hypertension, diabetes, age, race, and sex.

Main Results:

• The study included 90,271 patients with hyperlipidemia, revealing a significant association between statin use and both sensorineural hearing loss (OR=1.60, P<.01) and tinnitus (OR=1.36, P<.01).
• Simvastatin demonstrated the strongest correlation with hearing loss and tinnitus among individual statins analyzed.
• Atorvastatin, the most frequently used statin, was also significantly associated with increased odds of hearing loss and tinnitus.

Conclusions:

• Findings from the All of Us database suggest a potential ototoxic association between statin use and the development of hearing loss and tinnitus.
• The results highlight the need for further investigation into the mechanisms underlying statin-induced auditory effects.