Hearing Loss and Risk of Stroke and Myocardial Infarction: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Neurology
• Otolaryngology
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality globally.
• Hearing loss (HL) is a prevalent condition, increasingly recognized for its systemic health implications.
• The relationship between HL and incident CVD, including stroke and myocardial infarction (MI), requires further clarification.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review and meta-analyze the association between hearing loss (HL) and incident cardiovascular disease (CVD).
• To investigate the differential risk of HL for stroke versus myocardial infarction (MI).
• To explore the consistency of this association across demographics and HL types.

Main Methods:

• Systematic review and meta-analysis adhering to PRISMA and MOOSE guidelines.
• Searched PubMed and Web of Science for English-language studies over the past 16 years.
• Included studies encompassing the spectrum of HL types; calculated pooled odds ratios (ORs) for CVD, stroke, and MI.

Main Results:

• Fifteen studies (12 cohort, 3 cross-sectional/case-control) were included.
• Hearing loss (HL) was significantly associated with increased incidence of CVD (pooled OR = 1.31, 95% CI 1.05-1.65).
• A significant association was found for stroke (OR = 1.41, 95% CI 1.07-1.85), but not for myocardial infarction (MI) (OR = 1.15, 95% CI 0.88-1.50).

Conclusions:

• Hearing loss (HL) is significantly associated with incident stroke, but not myocardial infarction (MI).
• This differential risk suggests a pathophysiology potentially more prominent in the cerebrovascular system.
• HL may serve as a cost-effective indicator for targeted cerebrovascular risk assessment in prevention strategies.