Abnormal hearing patterns are not associated with endothelium-dependent vasodilation and carotid intima-media thickness: The Framingham Heart Study

Association of Carotid Atherosclerosis With Hearing Loss: A Cross-sectional Analysis of the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study

Objective

To describe the association between midlife carotid atherosclerosis and late-life hearing loss among participants in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study.

Design, Setting, and Participants

For this cross-sectional study and temporal analysis of a cohort within the ongoing ARIC prospective cohort study, participants were recruited from 4 communities in the US. The analysis evaluated information on mean carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT), from visit 1 (1987-1989) to visit 4 (1994-1996), carotid plaque presence at visit 4, and audiometric data from visit 6 (2016-2017). The cIMT measures were calculated from ultrasonography recordings by trained readers at the ARIC Ultrasound Reading Center. At each visit, cIMT was computed as the average of 3 segments: the distal common carotid, the carotid artery bifurcation, and the proximal internal carotid arteries. Presence of carotid plaque was determined based on an abnormal wall thickness, shape, or wall texture. Audiometric 4-frequency pure tone average (PTA) was measured and calculated for the better-hearing ear and modeled as a continuous variable. Linear regression estimated the association between cIMT and carotid plaque with hearing, adjusting for age, sex, race and study center, education level, body mass index (calculated as weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared), smoking status, hypertension, cholesterol levels, diabetes, and exposure to occupational noise. Missing data (exposure and covariates) were imputed with multiple imputation by chained equations. Data analyses were performed from April 6 to July 13, 2022.

Main Outcomes and Measures

Hearing loss assessed using 4-frequency (0.5, 1.0, 2.0, and 4.0 kilohertz) PTA for both ears and carotid plaque at visit 4 and mean cIMT from visit 1 to visit 4.

Results

Among a total of 3594 participants (mean [SD] age at visit 4, 59.4 [4.6] years; 2146 [59.7%] female; 819 [22.8%] Black and 2775 [77.2%] White individuals), fully adjusted models indicated that an additional 0.1 mm higher mean cIMT was associated with 0.59 dB (95% CI, 0.17 to 1.02 dB) higher PTA. Compared with participants without carotid plaque, plaque presence was associated with 0.63 dB (95% CI, -0.57 to 1.84 dB) higher PTA.

Conclusion and Relevance

The findings of this cross-sectional study with temporal analyses of a cohort with the ongoing ARIC study found that subclinical atherosclerosis in midlife was associated with worse hearing in older adulthood. Prevention and control of carotid atherosclerosis during middle age may positively affect the hearing health of older adults.

Hearing Impairment With Cognitive Decline Increases All-Cause Mortality Risk in Chinese Adults Aged 65 Years or Older: A Population-Based Longitudinal Study

Background

Hearing impairment (HI), a highly prevalent sensory impairment affecting older adults, is a risk factor for cognitive decline. However, few studies examined the association between HI and all-cause mortality, and the role of different cognitive states on this relationship in Chinese older adults is poorly understood.

Methods

A total of 10,744 Chinese older adults aged 65 years or older were included in the 2011/2012 and 2014 cohorts from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS), with the longest follow-up period lasting for up to 8 years. The presence of HI was identified by using a dichotomized metric of self-reported hearing status. All-cause mortality data were ascertained from interviews with family members or relatives of the participants. Cognitive function was evaluated by employing the modified Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), which consisted of seven subdomains (orientation, naming foods, registration, attention and calculation, copy figure, delayed recall, and speech and language). Kaplan–Meier survival curves were constructed to evaluate the different hearing states on overall survival. The risk of mortality over the follow-up period was estimated by using Cox proportional hazard ratios (HRs) models.

Results

A conspicuous probability was revealed in the survival relationship between hearing status and all-cause mortality for the total population (p < 0.001). Participants with HI had a higher risk of all-cause mortality (HR = 2.29, 95% CI: 2.16, 2.42), as compared with their counterparts without HI. The association was robust upon fully adjustment for potential confounders (HR = 1.07, 95% CI: 1.00, 1.14). Compared to HI participants with no cognitive impairment, HI patients with cognitive impairment had a higher mortality risk (HR = 2.31, 95% CI: 2.13, 2.51). Impairment in the subdomains of cognitive function were independently associated with elevated mortality risk in the participants with HI, with an HR ranging from 1.28 (copy figure) to 1.46 (speech and language).

Conclusions

Cognitive decline was common in individuals with HI, and those with HI and cognitive impairment further increased mortality risk. Our findings prompt a call for actions to improve the hearing status and cognitive function of older people to minimize health risks and improve longevity.