Susceptible Frequencies and Audiometric Configurations of Hearing Loss in Subjects With Coronary Artery Disease and Hypertension

ObjectiveCardiovascular diseases are associated with age-related hearing impairment. But the affected frequencies and audiometric configurations have rarely been studied simultaneously. This study aimed to assess the susceptible frequencies and audiometric configurations in subjects with coronary artery disease (CAD) and hypertension (HTN).Materials and MethodsFrom August 2007 to September 2008, the records of 908 adult participants who underwent pure tone audiometry (PTA), who were older than 50 years of age, and who were in the non-CAD, non-HTN group or who had CAD and/or HTN were collected. The associations of CAD or HTN with average PTA level at low (0.25 and 0.5 kHz), middle (1 and 2 kHz), and high (4 and 8 kHz) frequencies and audiometric configurations were analyzed.ResultsThe presence of CAD, HTN, or both was associated with poor hearing thresholds at all frequencies before adjusting for age and sex. Using multivariate linear regression analysis, CAD or HTN alone did not show a significant association with PTA; but comorbid CAD and HTN showed a significant positive association with PTA, especially at the middle and high frequencies. “Mild sloping” was the most common audiogram pattern in the non-CAD, non-HTN group and in those with both CAD and HTN, and the audiometric configurations were not significantly different between the two groups.ConclusionComorbid CAD and HTN had a negative impact on hearing function, especially at the middle to high frequencies. However, the effect of cardiovascular disease on hearing was not strong enough to change the audiogram patterns.