High-frequency hearing loss in chronic kidney disease: a frequency-specific analysis across renal function stages

Area of Science:

• Nephrology
• Audiology
• Otolaryngology

Background:

• Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is associated with neurological complications, but hearing loss patterns, particularly high-frequency, are not well-understood.
• Existing research lacks detailed, frequency-specific data on hearing function across different stages of renal impairment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate hearing function, focusing on frequency-specific thresholds, in individuals with varying degrees of kidney function.
• To investigate the relationship between chronic kidney disease stages and high-frequency hearing loss.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective assessment of 97 participants categorized into three groups: preserved estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), CKD without hemodialysis (HD), and patients undergoing HD.
• Pure-tone audiometry, including high-frequency thresholds, was used to assess hearing function.
• Statistical analyses included Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney U-tests, ROC analysis, and logistic regression.

Main Results:

• Patients with CKD, including those not on HD, showed significantly worse high-frequency hearing thresholds than controls (p < 0.05).
• The most severe hearing impairment was observed in the hemodialysis group.
• High-frequency audiometry moderately predicted CKD status (AUC > 0.70), with age and CKD status being significant predictors of hearing loss (p < 0.01).

Conclusions:

• Non-hemodialysis CKD patients exhibit poorer high-frequency hearing thresholds, indicating potential early auditory involvement.
• Routine high-frequency audiological screening is recommended for CKD patients to enable early detection and intervention.
• This study provides novel frequency-specific evidence of hearing loss patterns across different renal function stages.