Age-related hearing loss and dementia: a 10-year national population-based study
Journal
European Archives of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology
Journal Volume
274
Journal Issue
5
Pages
2327
Date Issued
2017-05-01
Author(s)
Su, Peijen
Hsu, Chih Chao
Lin, Hung Ching
Huang, Wei Shin
Hsu, Wei Ting
Lin, Cheng Li
Hsu, Chung Yi
Chang, Kuang Hsi
Hsu, Yi Chao
Abstract
Age-related hearing loss (ARHL) is postulated to affect dementia. Our study aims to investigate the relationship between ARHL and the prevalence, and 10-year incidence of dementia in the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD). We selected patients diagnosed with ARHL from the NHIRD. A comparison cohort comprising of patients without ARHL was frequency-matched by age, sex, and co-morbidities, and the occurrence of dementia was evaluated in both cohorts. The ARHL cohort consisted of 4108 patients with ARHL and the control cohort consisted of 4013 frequency-matched patients without ARHL. The incidence of dementia [hazard ratio (HR), 1.30; 95% confidence interval (CI 1.14–1.49); P = 0.002] was higher among ARHL patients. Cox models showed that being female (HR, 1.34; 95% CI 1.07–1.68), as well as having co-morbidities, including chronic liver disease and cirrhosis, rheumatoid arthritis, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, stroke, head injury, chronic kidney disease, coronary artery disease, alcohol abuse/dependence, and tobacco abuse/dependence (HR, 1.27; 95% CI 1.11–1.45), were independent risk factors for dementia in ARHL patients. We found ARHL may be one of the early characteristics of dementia, and patients with hearing loss were at a higher risk of subsequent dementia. Clinicians should be more sensitive to dementia symptoms within the first 2 years following ARHL diagnosis. Further clinical studies of the relationship between dementia and ARHL may be necessary.
Subjects
Age-related hearing loss | Dementia | NHIRD | Presbycusis | Sensory hearing loss
SDGs
Publisher
SPRINGER
Type
journal article