Correlation between serum lipid and prognosis of idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss: a prospective cohort study

BackgroundTo investigate the correlation between blood lipids and the prognosis of idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss (ISSNHL).MethodsWe included 232 patients with ISSNHL at the Second Affiliated Hospital of Shanghai University from June 2015 to March 2017 using a prospective cohort study design. We collected information including age, gender, hypertension, diabetes, mellitus, vertigo, as well as the levels of blood total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), and low-density lipoproteins (LDL-C). We also recorded the ratio between the levels of low-density lipoproteins and the levels of high-density lipoproteins (LDL-C/HDL-C ratio). Correlations between the prognosis of ISSNHL and TC, TG, LDL-C, and LDL-C/HDL-C ratio were analyzed by univariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses.ResultsThe clinical effectiveness rate of patients with TC ranging from 5.2 to 6.2 mmol/L was significantly higher than that of patients with TC <5.2 mmol/L (P<0.001). No notable difference was found between patients with TC <5.2 mmol/L and patients with TC ≥6.2 mmol/L. The clinical effectiveness rate of patients in TG ranging from 1.7 mmol/L to 2.3 mmol/L was markedly higher than those in TG <1.7 mmol/L (P<0.001). No significant difference was found between patients with TG ranging from 2.3 to 5.6 mmol/L, TG ≥5.6 mmol/L, and TG <1.7 mmol/L. The clinical effectiveness rate of patients in LDL-C/HDL-C <1.5 was considerably higher than those in LDL-C/HDL-C ranging from 1.5 to 2.5, 2.5 to 3.5, and ≥3.5 (P<0.001).ConclusionsOur findings indicated that TC, TG, and the LDL-C/HDL-C ratio are strongly associated with the prognosis of ISSNHL. These three indices could be recommended as independent markers to predict outcomes.