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PURPOSE: Sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) is prevalent among older adults in the United States. Recent studies suggest the triglyceride to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (TG/HDL-C) ratio as a potential marker for metabolic and cardiovascular conditions. Our research investigates the association between the TG/HDL-C ratio and SNHL using a comprehensive national dataset. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This cross-sectional study utilized the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data cycle 1999-2000, 2001-2002, 2003-2004, 2011-2012, and 2015-2016. Participants aged 50-69 years with complete audiometry and TG/HDL-C data were included. The outcome was the presence of SNHL, defined as an average hearing threshold >25 dB in the better ear. We employed multivariate logistic regression adjusted for demographics, smoking, noise exposure, and comorbidities to explore the association. RESULTS: =0.039]. The link was stronger in participants without diabetes or obesity, with significant predictive values for SNHL presence (area under the ROC curve=0.716 and 0.753, respectively). CONCLUSION: A higher TG/HDL-C ratio was significantly associated with SNHL in US adults aged 50-69 years, especially in those free from diabetes or obesity. These findings support considering TG/HDL-C as a useful marker for SNHL risk, highlighting the importance of combined metabolic and auditory health assessments.
Yu et al. (2024) studied this question.