The following is a summary of “COPD and 20-year hearing decline: The HUNT cohort study,” published in the April 2023 issue of Pulmonology by Aarhus, et al.
For a population-based cohort study, researchers sought to investigate the association between chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and long-term hearing decline and potential sex differences.
The study was conducted in Norway as part of the HUNT study, with baseline measurements collected from 1996-1998 and follow-up data collected from 2017-2019. The study sample included 12,082 participants, with a mean age of 64 years at follow-up, and 43% of the participants were men. The study utilized multiple linear regression to assess the relationship between COPD (having at least one registered ICD-10 code with emphysema or other COPDs during follow-up) and 20-year hearing decline in the low/mid/high-frequency area (0.25–0.5/1–2/3-8 kHz). Adjustments were made for age, sex, education, smoking, noise exposure, ear infections, hypertension, and diabetes.
Of the 12,082 participants, 403 were registered with COPD. Individuals with COPD had larger 20-year hearing decline at low frequencies (1.5 dB, 95% CI 0.6–2.3) and mid frequencies (1.2 dB, 95% CI 0.4–2.1) but not at high frequencies. The association was stronger and statistically significant at high frequencies only among women (1.9 dB, 95% CI 0.6–3.2). Participants registered with both COPD and respiratory failure (n = 19) had larger 20-year hearing decline at low and mid frequencies: 7.4 dB (95% CI 3.6–11.2) and 4.5 dB (95% CI 0.7–8.4), respectively.
The study suggested that COPD is associated with an increased risk of long-term hearing decline and that women may be more susceptible to COPD-related hearing loss at high frequencies. The findings supported the idea that COPD can impact cochlear function.
Source: resmedjournal.com/article/S0954-6111(23)00109-9/fulltext