According to a new study published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, individuals with osteoporosis face a 1.76-fold higher risk of developing sudden deafness than those who do not have the bone disease.
Osteoporotic Patients at Higher Risk of Sudden Deafness
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“A growing body of evidence indicates that osteoporosis affects not only bone health, but the cardiovascular and cerebrovascular systems, ” said one of the study’s authors, Kai-Jen Tien, M.D., in the April 16, 2015 news release. Dr. Tien is with the Chi Mei Medical Center in Taiwan. He adds, “Our findings suggest sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSHL) can be another broader health problem connected to osteoporosis.”
The study, a retrospective cohort involving 10, 660 Taiwan residents, found that participants who were diagnosed with osteoporosis had a much higher risk of developing sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSHL) 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 researchers do not know what biological mechanism is responsible for this relationship. Dr. Tien indicated that cardiovascular risk factors, bone demineralization, inflammation and endothelial dysfunction may contribute to the association.
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This is a fascinating development. In my practice we've seen similar outcomes with the revised protocol. The key differentiator seems to be patient selection criteria. Has anyone else noticed the correlation with BMI thresholds?
Great point. I'd push back slightly on the conclusion, the sample size in the cited study is too small to draw population-level inferences. That said, the directional signal is compelling and worth a larger RCT.
We implemented a similar approach last year. Early results are promising but we're still gathering 12-month follow-up data. Happy to share our protocol if anyone is interested.
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