Association of inflammatory markers with hearing loss in young adults

Abstract

Objectives: To assess the correlation between inflammatory markers (IM) and hearing loss (HL) in a large cohort of apparently healthy individuals.

Design: A cross sectional study.

Setting: Tel-Aviv Medical Center (a tertiary referral center) Inflammatory Survey Participants Individuals who attended the Tel-Aviv Medical Center Inflammatory Survey (TAMCIS) for a routine annual health check.

Results: Out of 2,500 individuals included in the final study cohort, 1,170 (47.3%) had some hearing impairment. Those with a hearing loss in 1 or both ears had significantly higher levels of neutrophils, lymphocytes, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, monocyte-to-lymphocyte ratio, and red blood cell counts. There was a difference between low- and high- frequencies losses associated with the inflammatory status.

Conclusions: IM levels were associated with the presence of a HL, supporting a link between inflammatory changes and hearing loss.

Keywords: hearing loss; inflammation; markers.