title: Link between angiographic extent and severity of coronary artery disease and degree of sensorineural hearing loss.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Atherosclerosis is a systemic disease that can affect the whole arterial tree. An important cause of neuronal degeneration is atherosclerosis, which may lead to sensorineural hearing loss. We aimed to investigate the relationship between the angiographic severity and extent of coronary artery disease, which is a surrogate of atherosclerotic burden, and the degree of sensorineural hearing loss.
  
  
  METHODS
  Out of 381 consecutive patients who underwent coronary angiography for symptoms suggesting ischemic heart disease and who had ischemia detected by a noninvasive stress test, 265 patients [mean age, 61.5 ± 13.0 years; median age (25th-75th percentile), 59 years (50.5-67)], including 146 male (55.1 %) subjects met the eligibility criteria and were enrolled. Audiological measurements (hearing levels and discrimination scores) were performed before the coronary angiography. The Gensini score was calculated for each angiogram.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was a statistically significant positive correlation between the degree of hearing loss at all frequencies analyzed (250, 500, 1,000, 2,000, 4,000 Hz) and the Gensini score (p < 0.05 for all frequencies), which remained significant after adjustment according to age and other risk factors. A statistically significant negative correlation was observed between the Gensini score and the speech discrimination score (p < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The findings of this study suggest that the angiographic severity and extent of coronary artery disease are significantly and independently correlated with the degree of hearing loss. Sensorineural hearing loss was more prominent in patients with higher Gensini scores. We propose that the findings of this study warrant further research and should be verified in large-scale studies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, School of Medicine, Ufuk University, Dr. Rıdvan Ege Hospital, Mevlana Bulvarı 86-88, Balgat, 06520, Ankara, Turkey, aycanfahri@gmail.com.
authors.forename: A F
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Erkan
authors.forename: G K
authors.initials: GK
authors.lastname: Beriat
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ekici
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Doğan
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kocatürk
authors.forename: H F
authors.initials: HF
authors.lastname: Töre
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D015984:Causality; D017023:Coronary Angiography / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006319:Hearing Loss, Sensorineural / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006320:Hearing Tests / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012720:Severity of Illness Index