Relationship between hypertension and hearing disorders in the elderly.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the relationship between hypertension and hearing disorders of the elderly.


METHODS
Prospective case-control study.


METHODS
Lin Yi People's Hospital, Shandong Province, the People's Republic of China, from October 1995 to June 1997.


METHODS
Fifty five hypertensive patients and fifty five normal elderly subjects (control group) between the ages of fifty five and eighty nine years old were enrolled in the study. All patients were male and were divided into three groups according to age as follows: Group A: 55-64; Group B: 65-74; Group C: 75-89.


METHODS
SIMENS DA-64 audiometer and MEDSON 2250 auditory brainstem response audiometry (ABR) were utilised to determine the degree of hearing disorders. Serum triglycerides and cholesterol were also tested in our central laboratory.


RESULTS
Auditory thresholds collected during audiometric tests increased gradually in proportion with age, especially in the hypertensive group (p < 0.05). The results of the ABR demonstrated that the latencies of wave V, I-VIPL and III-VIPL were also prolonged compared with normal elderly subjects. The patient's duration of illness and the complications of hypertension had an influence on hearing disorders in relation to the ageing process.


CONCLUSIONS
Hypertension, with a high level of blood triglycerides and cholesterol, worsens the hearing of the elderly. The hearing disorder in elderly people is a result of long duration of illness and the complications of the hypertension.
Chen
Y L
YL
Department of Ear Nose and Throat, Kitete Hospital, Tabora, Tanzania.
Ding
Y P
YP
D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001299:Audiometry; D001309:Auditory Threshold; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002681:China; D016057:Evoked Potentials, Auditory, Brain Stem; D006311:Hearing Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications*; D015228:Hypertriglyceridemia / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies