Chronic kidney disease and the risk of incident hearing loss

Abstract

Objectives: There is a strikingly high prevalence of sensorineural hearing loss among patients with chronic kidney disease, with estimates ranging from 36% to 77%; however, longitudinal data are limited. We assessed whether lower baseline estimated glomerular filtration rate calculated using creatinine (eGFR_Cr ), as well as decline in eGFR_Cr over time, were associated with incident hearing loss.

Methods: Serum creatinine was measured in 1,843 individuals aged 48 to 80 years without hearing loss at the start of the Epidemiology of Hearing Loss Study in 1993. Follow-up creatinine assessments were conducted at 5 (n = 1,526) and 10 (n = 1,095) years. Hearing tests were conducted at baseline and at 5-, 10-, and 15-year follow-up visits. The risk of hearing loss was assessed as a function of baseline eGFR_Cr as well as a function of a 20% decline in eGFR_Cr between baseline and 5 years and between 5 and 10 years. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to examine the risk of incident speech-frequency hearing loss, defined as pure tone average (PTA) > 25 decibels hearing loss for thresholds at 0.5, 1, 2, and 4 kHz (PTA_0.5,1,2,4 ) in either ear.

Results: During 15,676 person-years of follow up, there were 802 cases of incident hearing loss. There was no statistically significant association between lower baseline eGFR_Cr and risk of incident hearing loss. Decline in eGFR_Cr was also not associated with incident hearing loss at speech frequencies.

Conclusion: Overall, there was no significant association between eGFR_Cr or decline in eGFR_Cr using the serum creatinine-based equation and risk of incident hearing loss.

Level of evidence: 2 Laryngoscope, 130:E213-E219, 2020.

Keywords: Chronic kidney disease; creatinine; estimated glomerular filtration rate; hearing loss.