title: Endothelial function and cardiovascular risk in patients with idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate cardiovascular risk factors and pre-clinical atherosclerosis in subjects affected by idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss (ISSHL).
  
  
  METHODS
  In this study, 29 ISSHL patients and 29 healthy controls were evaluated. All of the patients underwent a complete audiovestibular and clinical evaluation. Carotid intima-media thickness (C-IMT) and flow-mediated dilation (FMD) of the brachial artery were assessed as early markers of atherosclerosis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Our results showed that FMD was significantly lower in the ISSHL patients than in the controls (5.6 ± 1.6% vs. 7.7 ± 3.7%, p < 0.01). Moreover, the total cholesterol and low density lipoprotein cholesterol were significantly higher in the ISSHL patients than in the controls (p < 0.05). The two groups did not differ with regards to C-IMT and other cardiovascular risk factors. Vestibular involvement was shown to be associated with lower FMD values (4.1 ± 1.7% vs. 5.8 ± 1.5%, p < 0.05). No relationship was found between C-IMT and vestibular involvement. Finally, multiple logistic regression highlighted the finding that only FMD values seemed to predispose individuals to developing ISSHL (p = 0.03, OR: 1.4).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  ISSHL seemed to be associated with vascular endothelial dysfunction and an increased cardiovascular risk, which supports the hypothesis of a vascular aetiology for this disease.
authors.affiliation: Section of Cardiovascular Diseases, Department of Emergency and Organ Transplantation, University of Bari, Bari, Italy. marcomatteo.ciccone@uniba.it
authors.forename: Marco Matteo
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Ciccone
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cortese
authors.forename: Mariangela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pinto
authors.forename: Concetta
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Di Teo
authors.forename: Fara
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Fornarelli
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gesualdo
authors.forename: Antonia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mezzina
authors.forename: Evelina
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sabatelli
authors.forename: Pietro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Scicchitano
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Quaranta
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001916:Brachial Artery / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D002340:Carotid Artery Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D059168:Carotid Intima-Media Thickness; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000097:blood; D042241:Early Diagnosis; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006319:Hearing Loss, Sensorineural / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D014664:Vasodilation
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; D002784:Cholesterol