Risk of mortality in the elderly with different degree of sensorineural hearing loss in Taiwan

Jin-Cherng Chen ^1,2, Pei-Shan Hsieh ³, Juen-Haur Hwang ^2,4,5,6

⁰Department of Neurosurgery, Dalin Tzu Chi Hospital, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, Chiayi, Taiwan.

Frontiers in Neurology +

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November 21, 2025

View abstract on PubMed

Summary

Elderly individuals with moderate to severe sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) face a significantly increased risk of mortality. This study highlights the importance of addressing hearing health in older populations for better health outcomes.

Area Of Science

Gerontology
Audiology
Public Health

Background

Sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) is a common condition in the elderly, potentially leading to various disabilities.
The association between SNHL and mortality risk in older adults remains an area requiring further investigation.

Purpose Of The Study

To investigate the association between sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) and mortality risk among the elderly population in Taiwan.

Main Methods

A cohort of 318 elderly individuals (51-88 years) with SNHL was categorized into normal hearing, mild SNHL, and moderate-to-severe SNHL groups based on pure tone thresholds.
Mortality incidence rates were compared using Kaplan-Meier analysis and log-rank tests.
Cox proportional hazard models were employed to examine the association between SNHL and mortality, adjusting for covariates.

Main Results

The moderate-to-severe SNHL group exhibited a significantly higher crude hazard ratio (HR) of 4.82 (p=0.0041) and an adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) of 6.96 (p=0.0096) for mortality compared to the normal hearing group.
No statistically significant increase in mortality risk was observed for the mild SNHL group.

Conclusions

Moderate and severe sensorineural hearing loss are significantly associated with an increased risk of mortality in the elderly.
These findings underscore the potential public health implications of SNHL in older adults and suggest a need for further research into underlying mechanisms and interventions.

Keywords:

age-related hearing impairment elderly hearing level mortality sensorineural hearing loss