medical researchers have found that people with a diagnosis of osteoporosis have a 1.76-fold higher risk of developing sudden deafness than people who do not have the bone disease.
A Taiwanese team of medical researchers have found that people with a diagnosis of osteoporosis have a 1.76-fold higher risk of developing sudden deafness than people who do not have the bone disease. The study was published in a recent issue of the Endocrine Society’s Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.
According to one of the study’s authors, Kai-Jen Tien, MD, of the Chi Mei Medical Center in Taiwan ,”A growing body of evidence indicates that osteoporosis affects not only bone health, but the cardiovascular and cerebrovascular systems. Our findings suggest sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSHL) can be another broader health problem connected to osteoporosis.”
The methodology used, a retrospective cohort study, reviewed medical records for 10,660 Taiwan residents who were diagnosed with osteoporosis between 1999 and 2008. It then compared compared them to 31,980 people who did not have osteoporosis using national insurance records. The researchers calculated how many participants were diagnosed with sudden deafness by the end of 2011.
People in the study who were diagnosed with osteoporosis had a much higher risk of developing sudden sensorineural hearing loss than the control group. Among the participants who had osteoporosis, 91 were diagnosed with SSHL during the follow-up period. In comparison, the control group, which was triple the size, included 155 people who were diagnosed with SSHL.
The study authors say they are unsure what biological mechanism is responsible for the relationship. Dr. Tien theorizes cardiovascular risk factors, bone demineralization, inflammation and endothelial dysfunction may contribute to the relationship.
To read more on the study, click here.