Sudden sensorineural hearing loss is correlated with an increased risk of acute myocardial infarction: a population-based cohort study.

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS: Previous studies have indicated that hypercholesterolemia and a high burden of cardiovascular risk factors are associated with the development of sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSHL). The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that SSHL is a risk factor for the development of myocardial infarction (MI).

STUDY DESIGN

A retrospective cohort study.

METHODS

Using the Taiwan Longitudinal Health Insurance Database, we compared patients diagnosed with SSHL between January 1, 2001, and December 31, 2006, (N = 44,830) with age-matched controls (1:1) (N = 44,830). We followed up on each patient until the end of 2009 to evaluate the incidence of MI for a minimum period of 3 years after their initial SSHL diagnosis.

RESULTS

We found that after adjusting for potential confounds with an adjusted hazard ratio (HR) of 1.254 (95% confidence interval, 1.092-1.440, P < 0.05), patients with SSHL were more likely to suffer MI than the control population. When stratified by patient age, the incidence of MI was 1.62-fold and 1.28-fold higher for SSHL-diagnosed patients aged between 50 and 64 years and those aged ≥ 65 years (P = 0.0064 and P = 0.0001), respectively, than in the non-SSHL group.

CONCLUSIONS

SSHL may confer an independent risk of MI. This observation may prompt the early detection and timely treatment of patients at a high risk of MI.