Hearing loss, tinnitus, and hypertension: analysis of the baseline data from the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brasil)

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the association among hypertension, tinnitus, and sensorineural hearing loss and evaluate the influence of other covariates on this association. METHODS: Baseline data (2008-2010) from the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brasil) were analyzed. Altogether, 900 participants were evaluated. The baseline assessment consisted of a 7-hour examination to obtain clinical and laboratory variables. Hearing was measured using pure-tone audiometry. RESULTS: Overall, 33.3% of the participants had hypertension. Participants with hypertension were more likely to be older, male, and diabetic compared to those without hypertension. The prevalence of tinnitus was higher among hypertensive participants and the odds ratio for tinnitus was higher in participants with hypertension than in those without hypertension. However, the difference was not significant after adjusting for age. Audiometric results at 250-8,000 Hz were worse in participants with hypertension than in those without hypertension in the crude analysis; however, the differences were not significant after adjustment for age, sex, diagnosis of diabetes, and exposure to noise. No significant difference was observed in hearing thresholds among participants having hypertension for <6 years, those having hypertension for ≥6 years, and individuals without hypertension. CONCLUSION: Hearing thresholds were worse in participants with hypertension. However, after adjusting for age, sex, diagnosis of diabetes, and exposure to noise, no significant differences were observed between participants with and without hypertension. A higher prevalence of tinnitus was observed in participants with hypertension compared to those without hypertension, but without significance after adjusting for age.

Noise-Induced Hearing Loss and Hypertension: A Preliminary Analysis of Baseline Data of Occupational Noise-Exposed Workers

“…In this study, altogether, 25.40% of the workers included in our study had hypertension, suggesting a higher incidence of this disease. Workers particularly in the subgroups of male gender, aged > 35 years, exposure time with noise > 5 years, and smoking were more likely to develop hypertension, which in accordance with observed trends in previous studies (Evrard et al 2017;Li et al 2019;Samelli et al 2021;Talukder et al 2011). We concluded that workers with the above characteristics were high risk individuals of developing hypertension in occupational noise settings.…”

“…Recent studies have found that 16% of worldwide hearing loss in adults caused by occupational noise (Nelson et al 2005). NIHL can cause communication disorder and result in social isolation, thus leading to self-abasement and cognitive decline and depression (Samelli et al 2021). Therefore, it is an extreme important public health goal to prevent NIHL and reduce its adverse effects.…”

Noise-induced Hearing Loss and Hypertension Among Occupational Noise-exposed Workers: a Pilot Study Based on Baseline Data

“…In this study, altogether, 25.40% of the workers included in our study had hypertension, suggesting a higher incidence of this disease. Workers particularly in the subgroups of male gender, aged > 35 years, exposure time with noise > 5 years, noise exposure level > 85 dB (A) and smoking were more likely to develop hypertension, the results were in accordance with observed trends in previous studies [13,40,50,51]. Males were observed with much higher blood pressure levels and higher risk of hypertension compared with females.…”

“…Zhou J et al [12] has conducted a meta-analysis and found that the prevalence of occupational NIHL was 21.3% in China. NIHL could cause communication disorder and social isolation, thus leading to self-abasement, cognitive decline, and depression [13]. Therefore, it is an extreme important public health goal to prevent NIHL and reduce its adverse effects.…”

Association Between Hypertension and Hearing Loss

“…Therefore, all these factors could cause a malfunction of the inner ear, resulting in HL and tinnitus [4]. In concordance with this fact, a study suggested that hypertensive patients were reported to have higher hearing thresholds as well as an increased prevalence of tinnitus [5]. Another study assessing the association between HL and HTN examined hearing by using frequencies between 250 and 8000 Hz to measure the pure tone threshold.…”