Background and aim: Carotid atherosclerosis may be an important determinant of age-related hearing loss, yet evidence remains scarce. We assessed the associations of atherosclerosis with hearing loss in an elderly population-based cohort.

Methods: In this cross-sectional study 3,724 participants from the population-based Rotterdam Study (mean age: 65.5 years (SD: 7.5), 55.4% women) underwent carotid ultrasound and pure-tone audiograms to assess carotid atherosclerosis and hearing thresholds. We investigated associations of carotid plaque scores and the maximum intima media thickness (IMT) with hearing loss using multivariable linear and ordinal regression models. First, we investigated hearing loss in the best hearing ear per 1-standard deviation. Second, we assessed side-specific atherosclerosis and side-specific hearing loss (left-right). 
Results We found that higher plaque score and larger IMT was significantly associated with hearing loss in the best ear (difference in Z-score per 1-point increase in plaque score: 0.04 [95% CI: 0.02, 0.06], and difference in Z-score per 1-mm increase in IMT: 0.17 [95% CI: 0.01, 0.34]). Moreover, plaque score and IMT in the right carotid  were significantly associated with right ear hearing loss (difference: 0.04 [95% CI: 0.02, 0.06], difference: 0.22 [95% CI: 0.06, 0.38], respectively) (Table 1). We did not find similar relation for left-sided atherosclerosis and left-sided hearing loss. 

Conclusions: Carotid atherosclerosis is associated almost exclusively with right-sided hearing loss. Our results highlight that the impact of atherosclerosis spreads beyond clinical cardiovascular events and also affects hearing function, underscoring the need for early detection and prevention of atherosclerosis.

03 - CAROTID ATHEROSCLEROSIS IS ASSOCIATED WITH AGE-RELATED HEARING LOSS