Increased risk of getting sudden sensorineural hearing loss in patients with chronic kidney disease: A population‐based cohort study

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS: To examine the risk of getting Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss (SSHL) among patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective cohort study. METHODS: Population-based representative insurance claims data were used to examine the risk of getting SSHL among patients with chronic kidney disease. Data extracted from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database yielded 37,421 patients with newly diagnosed renal insufficiency and 37,421 subjects without renal insufficiency from between 2000 and 2004. RESULTS: The incidence of SSHL at the end of 2009 was determined. The incidence of SSHL was 1.57 times higher in the CKD-carrying group compared to the incidence in the non-CKD group (10.24 vs. 6.52 per 10,000 person-years), with adjusted hazard ratio (HR) of 1.46 (95% CI = 1.194-1.787) using Cox proportional hazard regressions. Age was an independent risk factor of getting SSHL, with adjusted HRs of 2.01, 3.178, and 2.285 for age ranges of 35 ≈ 49, 50 ≈ 64 and ≥ 65 compared with age range of 0 ≈ 35. Diabetes Mellitus was another independent risk factor with HR of 1.31 (95% CI = 1.003-1.711). CONCLUSIONS: Present results suggested a significant association between CKD and increased risk of getting SSHL. Comorbidity of diabetes in patients with CKD appeared to be associated with increased risk of getting SSHL, especially for the patients who are 35 years of age and older.