Association of Audiometric Thresholds with HbA1c and Blood Lipid Levels.

Aims: The purpose of this study is to determine if the combined associations of HbA1c and blood lipid levels with audiometric thresholds are nonadditive, additive, or synergistic. Methods: A retrospective cross-sectional study was performed using the 2009-2010, 2011-2012, and 2015-2016 National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey. Participants were placed into tertial groups based on HbA1c, triglyceride, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels. Two-way analyses of variance were used to measure the combined effect of HbA1c and each lipid on mid- and high-frequency audiometric thresholds. Groups were matched by age and gender among HbA1c and blood lipid groups in three separate datasets. Results: The difference in mid-frequency audiometric thresholds between the lowest and highest level of HbA1c groups was 2.0 dB (P = 0.019) in one data set and 2.6 dB (P = 0.005) in another dataset. The difference in mid-frequency audiometric thresholds was 2.1 dB (P = 0.012) when comparing the lowest and highest triglyceride groups, and 2.4 dB (P = 0.001) when comparing the lowest and highest LDL-C groups. HDL-C levels, high frequency audiometry, and the interaction components were not significant for any analysis. Conclusions: These results indicate that higher HbA1c and blood lipid levels may have an additive effect on mid-frequency audiometric thresholds.

Citation

Charles Pudrith, Shannon Walsh, Taylor Bender, Michael Kushnick. Association of Audiometric Thresholds with HbA1c and Blood Lipid Levels. Metabolic syndrome and related disorders. 2022 Aug 26

PMID: 36037022

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