Determining the Risk Factors Associated with Sensorineural Hearing Loss in Patients with Systemic Hypertension

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Abstract (English)

Abstract
Aim: The aim of the present study was to find the prevalence and risk factors associated with sensorineural hearing
loss in patients with systemic hypertension.
Material & Methods: A cross-sectional study conducted during the period of 12 months aimed at finding out the
prevalence of sensorineural hearing loss and the risk factors related to hearing impairment among systemic
hypertensives in Department of ENT, Nalanda medical college and Hospital, Patna, Bihar, India. 200 patients
attending the outpatient Department of ENT, Nalanda medical college and Hospital, Patna, Bihar, India meeting
the inclusion and exclusion criteria were recruited for the study.
Results: Maximum participants were in the 56-60 age groups (47%). Female participants predominated in our
study (65%).When right ear and left ear were studied separately, 68 patients (34%) had sensorineural hearing loss
in the right ear, whereas 66 patients (33%) had sensorineural hearing loss in left ear. When hearing thresholds at
individual frequencies were noted, in the right ear 84 patients (42%) had hearing loss at 250 Hz, 68 patients (34%)
had hearing loss at 500 Hz, 64 patients (32%) had hearing loss at 1 kHz. Similarly, in the left ear, 74 patients
(37%) had hearing loss at 250 Hz, 66 patients (33%) had hearing loss at 500 Hz, 56 patients (28%) had hearing
loss at 1 kHz, 64 patients (32%) had hearing loss at 2 kHz, 88 patients (44%) had a hearing loss at 4 kHz and 116
patients (58%) had hearing loss at 8 kHz. The patients in 55-60 age group had a higher incidence of hearing loss
when compared to the remaining study population. In our study, we had around 24newly detected hypertensives,
44 patients with duration of hypertension less than 1 year, 70 patients with duration of illness ranging from 1-5
years, 40 patients with 6-10 years duration of hypertension and 11 patients having hypertension for more than 10
years.
Conclusion: Sensorineural hearing loss has a high prevalence among patients with systemic hypertension. Hence,
apure tone audiometry should be done routinely in all hypertensives, particularly in elderly patients with long
standing systemic hypertension. Periodic audiological assessment should be incorporated in them to start
rehabilitation as early as possible. Early diagnosis of systemic hypertension in the community and initiation of
treatment can help to further hinder the progression of microvascular disease that leads to target organ damage.