title: Hearing Loss is Associated With Risk of Alzheimer's Disease: A Case-Control Study in Older People.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  It remains unknown whether hearing loss increases the risk of Alzheimer's disease. This study aimed to examine the association between hearing loss and risk of Alzheimer's disease in older people in Taiwan.
  
  
  METHODS
  Analyzing the database from Taiwan's National Health Insurance Program, this case-control study enrolled 488 subjects ≥65 years old with newly diagnosed Alzheimer's disease as a case group and 1952 subjects without Alzheimer's disease as a control group from 1998-2011. Patients with Alzheimer's disease and other comorbidities were identified by analyzing ICD-9 coding in claims data. The association of hearing loss, other comorbidities, and risk of Alzheimer's disease were compared between groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After controlling for confounders, multivariable logistic regression showed an adjusted odds ratio of Alzheimer's disease of 1.39 in people with hearing loss (95% CI, 1.05-1.84) versus those without. Parkinson's disease (OR 4.44; 95% CI, 2.54-7.78), head injury (OR 2.31; 95% CI, 1.46-3.66), depression (OR 1.68; 95% CI, 1.19-2.39), hypertension (OR 1.40; 95% CI, 1.10-1.79), and age (each year, OR 1.03; 95% CI, 1.01-1.05) also showed strong links with Alzheimer's.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Hearing loss is associated with increased risk of Alzheimer's disease in older people in Taiwan.
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine, Nantou Hospital.
authors.forename: Shih-Chang
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Hung
authors.forename: Kuan-Fu
authors.initials: KF
authors.lastname: Liao
authors.forename: Chih-Hsin
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Muo
authors.forename: Shih-Wei
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Lai
authors.forename: Chia-Wei
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Hung-Chang
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Hung
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D034381:Hearing Loss / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D007345:Insurance Claim Review; D008297:Male; D009313:National Health Programs; D018570:Risk Assessment; D013624:Taiwan / Q000453:epidemiology