Hearing Loss and Hypertension in Male Workers
Author Information
Author(s): Chang Ta-Yuan, Liu Chiu-Shong, Huang Kuei-Hung, Chen Ren-Yin, Lai Jim-Shoung, Bao Bo-Ying
Primary Institution: China Medical University
Hypothesis
Can high-frequency hearing loss be used as a biomarker for occupational noise exposure and its association with hypertension?
Conclusion
High-frequency hearing loss is a good biomarker of occupational noise exposure and is associated with an increased risk of hypertension.
Supporting Evidence
- The prevalence of hypertension was significantly higher in the high HL (43.5%) and median HL (42.1%) groups compared to the low HL group (33.2%).
- Workers with high-frequency hearing loss had a 1.48-fold increased risk of hypertension compared to those with low hearing loss.
- Employment duration was positively correlated with the risk of hypertension among workers with average HLVs ≥ 15 dB.
Takeaway
If workers have trouble hearing high-pitched sounds, they might also have higher chances of having high blood pressure because of the loud noises they work around.
Methodology
The study used pure tone audiometry to measure hearing loss and assessed hypertension through blood pressure measurements and questionnaires.
Potential Biases
There may be exposure bias due to the reliance on hearing loss as a marker for noise exposure instead of direct measurements.
Limitations
The cross-sectional design limits causal inference, and potential confounders like genetic predisposition to hearing loss were not fully controlled.
Participant Demographics
All participants were male workers from an aircraft-manufacturing company.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p = 0.021 for high HL group, p = 0.029 for median HL group
Confidence Interval
95%CI = 1.02-2.15 for high HL group, 95%CI = 1.03-2.05 for median HL group
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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