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Sudden sensorineural hearing loss is correlated with an increased risk of acute myocardial infarction: A population‐based cohort study
Author(s) -
Lin Charlene,
Lin ShihWei,
Lin YungSong,
Weng ShihFeng,
Lee TsungMing
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
the laryngoscope
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.181
H-Index - 148
eISSN - 1531-4995
pISSN - 0023-852X
DOI - 10.1002/lary.23837
Subject(s) - medicine , myocardial infarction , hazard ratio , incidence (geometry) , confidence interval , cohort , population , cohort study , pediatrics , retrospective cohort study , hearing loss , audiology , physics , environmental health , optics
Objectives/Hypothesis Previous studies have indicated that hypercholesterolemia and a high burden of cardiovascular risk factors are associated with the development of sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSHL). The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that SSHL is a risk factor for the development of myocardial infarction (MI). Study Design A retrospective cohort study. Methods Using the Taiwan Longitudinal Health Insurance Database, we compared patients diagnosed with SSHL between January 1, 2001, and December 31, 2006, ( N = 44,830) with age‐matched controls (1:1) ( N = 44,830). We followed up on each patient until the end of 2009 to evaluate the incidence of MI for a minimum period of 3 years after their initial SSHL diagnosis. Results We found that after adjusting for potential confounds with an adjusted hazard ratio (HR) of 1.254 (95% confidence interval, 1.092–1.440, P < 0.05), patients with SSHL were more likely to suffer MI than the control population. When stratified by patient age, the incidence of MI was 1.62‐fold and 1.28‐fold higher for SSHL‐diagnosed patients aged between 50 and 64 years and those aged ≥ 65 years ( P = 0.0064 and P = 0.0001), respectively, than in the non‐SSHL group. Conclusions SSHL may confer an independent risk of MI. This observation may prompt the early detection and timely treatment of patients at a high risk of MI. Level of Evidence 2B. Laryngoscope , 123:2254–2258, 2013