Increased Incident Sensorineural Hearing Loss Among Individuals With Varicose Veins: A Multi-Institution Cohort Study

Sensorineural hearing loss is the most common type of hearing impairment. Some evidence suggests that sensorineural hearing loss is related to inflammatory, vascular, and hematologic disorders. However, investigation between sensorineural hearing loss and varicose veins (VV) was rare. This study aims to investigate the association between VV and sensorineural hearing loss. The data were obtained from the Chang Gung Research Database since January 1, 2003, to December 31, 2015. Patients with VV were matched with participants without VV at a 1:4 ratio based on gender, age, and index date. Cox regression analysis was employed to estimate the hazard ratios (HR) of sensorineural hearing loss. Incidence rate of sensorineural hearing loss was assessed in individuals with and without VV. A total of 62 100 participants were analyzed. The adjusted HR of sensorineural hearing loss in the VV group was 2.11 times that of the control group (95% CI, 1.482-2.996, <i>P</i> < .001). Compared with matched controls, VV patients with or without venous ulcers had 3.097- and 1.983-times increased risk of developing sensorineural hearing loss, respectively. Our study shows that individuals with VV have an increased incidence of sensorineural hearing loss, especially those with venous ulcers.