Objective: To explore the association between occupational noise exposure and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk in a large Chinese population. Methods: In December 2019, the study included 21412 retired participants from the Dongfeng-Tongji Cohort Study at baseline from September 2008 to June 2010, occupational noise exposure was evaluated through workplace noise level and/or the job titles. In a subsample of 8931 subjects, bilateral hearing loss was defined as a pure-tone mean of 25 dB or higher at 0.5, 1 , 2, and 4 kHz in both ears. Logistic regression models were used to explore the association of occupational noise exposure, bilateral hearing loss with 10-year CVD risk. Results: Compared with participants without occupational noise exposure, the 10-year CVD risk was significantly higher for noise exposure duration ≥20 years (OR=1.20, 95%CI:1.01-1.41 , P=0.001) after adjusting for potential confounders. In the sex-specific analysis, the association was only statistically significant in males (OR=2.34, 95%CI: 1.18-4.66, P<0.001) , but not in females (OR=1.15, 95%CI:0.97-1.37, P=0.153). In the subsample analyses, bilateral hearing loss, which was an indicator for exposure to loud noise, was also associated with a higher risk of 10-year CVD (OR= 1.17, 95% CI:1.05-1.44, P <0.001) , especially for participants who were males (OR =1.24, 95% CI:1.07-2.30, P<0.001) , aged equal and over 60 years old (OR=2.30, 95%CI: 1.84-2.88, P<0.001) , and exposed to occupational noise (OR=1.66, 95%CI: 1.02-2.70, P=0.001). Conclusion: Occupational noise exposure may be a risk factor for CVD.
Aged ; Cardiovascular Diseases/epidemiology* ; Cohort Studies ; Female ; Hearing Loss, Bilateral/complications* ; Hearing Loss, Noise-Induced/epidemiology* ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Noise, Occupational/adverse effects* ; Occupational Diseases/epidemiology* ; Occupational Exposure/adverse effects*

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the pure tone audiometry characteristics and curative effect in sudden hearing loss patients with hypertension. METHOD: One hundred and fifty-seven inpatients (168 ears) with hypertension suffered from sudden hearing loss were included in this study. We retrospectively analyzed the audiological index of these patients by comparing the pure tone audiometry (PTA) among patients in the aspects of gender, age, affected side, duration of hypertension, with or without inducement, concomitant symptoms and other combined diseases. The hearing threshold at different frequency was also compared, as well as the curative effect among patients with diverse audiological characteristics. RESULT: Of the contemporaneous sudden hearing loss patients (874 cases), the prevalence of hypertension was 17.96%, where the male ones accounted for. 28.69% (103/359) and the female ones accounted for 19.42% (54/278) respectively with statistically significant difference between genders (P < 0.01). The prevalence of hypertension in 34-44 years old group, 45-49 years old group, 60-69 years old group and over 70 years old group was 12.69% (25/197), 22.51% (70/311), 47.62% (40/84), 48.89% (22/45) respectively, which were statistically different (P < 0.01). The number of impaired ears with audiogram configuration characterized by rise type, downslope type, flat type and completely deafness type was 18 (10.71%), 61 (36.31%), 41 (24.40%), and 48 (28.57%), respectively. The decrease of hearing threshold in PTA were increasingly severe as the increasing impaired-frequency, and the difference of the degree of hearing impairment among these three types of frequencies was statistically significant (P < 0.01). The hearing threshold means of each frequency had no significant difference among patients with various gender, age and Cardiovascular Risk Stratification (P > 0.05). The hearing threshold means of each frequency of unilateral hearing loss patients was significantly higher than that of bilateral hearing loss patients (P < 0.05). The hearing threshold means at 125 Hz, 250 Hz, 500 Hz and 1 kHz showed significant difference among patients with different duration of hypertension (P < 0.05). The total effective rate of sudden hearing loss in patients with hypertension was significantly lower than that in the sudden hearing loss patients without hypertension (19.64%, 61.57% respectively, P < 0.01). The total effective rate presented significant difference among patients with different duration of hypertension and different Cardiovascular Risk Stratification (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION The prevalence of sudden hearing loss in hypertension patients was higher in male than in female, which rose with age and combined disease. The hearing threshold means at mid-frequency and high-frequency were higher than that at low-frequency. The total effective rate of sudden hearing loss was relatively low in patients with hypertension. The longer the duration of hypertension and the higher the Cardiovascular Risk Stratification, the lower the total effective rate. Comprehensive understanding of audiological characteristics and hypertension condition plays a crucial role in type-specific treatment of sudden hearing loss.
Adult ; Aged ; Audiometry, Pure-Tone ; Deafness ; Female ; Hearing Loss, Bilateral ; Hearing Loss, Sudden ; complications ; Hearing Loss, Unilateral ; Hearing Tests ; Humans ; Hypertension ; complications ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors

Sudden sensorineural hearing loss has been reported to occur following anesthesia and various non-otologic surgeries, mostly after procedures involving cardiopulmonary bypass. Unilateral sensorineural hearing loss resulting from microembolism is an infrequent complication of cardiopulmonary bypass surgery that has long been acknowledged. Moreover, there are few reports on the occurrence of bilateral sensorineural hearing loss without other neurologic deficits and its etiology has also not been determined. We describe here a rare case of bilateral hearing loss without other neurologic deficits in an otherwise healthy 27-year-old woman who underwent cardiopulmonary bypass surgery for repair of severe mitral valve stenosis. The patient suffered from profound sensorineural hearing loss in both ears that was recognized immediately upon extubation, and audiometry tests confirmed the diagnosis. Without any treatment, her hearing recovered almost completely by the time of her discharge one week after surgery.
Adult ; Anesthesia ; Audiometry ; Cardiopulmonary Bypass ; Ear ; Female ; Hearing ; Hearing Loss ; Hearing Loss, Bilateral ; Hearing Loss, Sensorineural ; Humans ; Mitral Valve Stenosis ; Neurologic Manifestations ; Postoperative Complications

Streptococcus suis infection is an emerging zoonosis in Asia. The most common disease manifestation is meningitis, which is often associated with hearing loss and cochleovestibular signs. S. suis infection in humans mainly occurs among risk groups that have frequent exposure to pigs or raw pork. Here, we report a case of S. suis meningitis in a 67-yr-old pig carcass handler, who presented with dizziness and sensorineural hearing loss followed by headaches. Gram-positive diplococci were isolated from cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and blood cultures and showed gray-white colonies with alpha-hemolysis. S. suis was identified from CSF and blood cultures by using a Vitek 2 system (bioMerieux, France), API 20 STREP (bioMerieux), and performing 16S rRNA and tuf gene sequencing. Even after receiving antibiotic treatment, patients with S. suis infection frequently show complications such as hearing impairment and vestibular dysfunction. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case of S. suis meningitis in Korea. Prevention through public health surveillance is recommended, especially for individuals who have occupational exposures to swine and raw pork.
Aged ; Animals ; Bacterial Proteins/genetics ; Blood/microbiology ; Cerebrospinal Fluid/microbiology ; Hearing Loss, Bilateral/complications/*diagnosis/microbiology ; Humans ; Male ; Meningitis, Bacterial/complications/*diagnosis/microbiology ; Phylogeny ; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S/genetics ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; Streptococcus suis/classification/genetics/*isolation & purification ; Swine ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Aged ; Female ; Hearing Loss, Bilateral ; diagnosis ; etiology ; Humans ; Osteitis Deformans ; complications ; diagnosis

OBJECTIVETo investigate the impact of congenital cytomegalovirus infection on the hearing ability in infants.

METHODSBy using the tools of distortion product otoacoustic emission (DPOAE) and auditory brain-stem response (ABR), the hearing ability of 38 infants with congenital cytomegalovirus infection and 16 cases of normal controls during neonatal periods was screened with a follow-up study at 6 and 24 months.

RESULTIn infants with congenital cytomegalovirus infection, 86.8% (66/76) ears at neonatal stage and 76.3% (58/76) ears at 6 months passed the tests; while in normal controls, 96.9% (31/32) ears passed the tests. The reaction threshold of ABR V in infants with congenital cytomegalovirus infection was higher than that in normal controls (P<0.005). Furthermore,in infants with congenital cytomegalovirus infection, 13 ears (17.1%) were extreme hearing loss, 5 ears (6.6%) were severe hearing loss, and 6 ears (7.9%) were moderately severe hearing loss. The incidence of hearing loss during the follow-up was 7.9% (3/38) at neonatal stage, 23.7% (9/38) at 3-4 months, and 7.9% (3/38) after 6 months.

CONCLUSIONThe congenital cytomegalovirus infection could cause the prompt and late-onset hearing loss. The combination of the laboratory evidence with the dynamic hearing screening may contribute to the early detection of hearing loss in infants with congenital cytomegalovirus infection.

China ; epidemiology ; Cytomegalovirus Infections ; complications ; congenital ; physiopathology ; Evoked Potentials, Auditory, Brain Stem ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hearing Loss, Bilateral ; epidemiology ; prevention & control ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Male ; Neonatal Screening ; Otoacoustic Emissions, Spontaneous

Child ; Female ; Hearing Loss, Bilateral ; etiology ; Humans ; Mumps ; complications

We describe a case of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus(lDDM) with a mutation at nucleotide 3243 of mitochondrial DNA. A 24-years-old female presented with recurrent episodes of generalised tonic clonic seizures, cognitive decline, short stature, bilateral sensory neural hearing loss, bilateral optic neuropathy, lactic acidosis, and basal ganglia calcifications in addition to IDDM. Maternal transmission of the disease was suggested, by the fact that her mother have died of diabetic complications of the age of 50. Heteroplasmy of wild type and mutant mitochondrial DNA derived from peripheral leucocytes was detected by Apa I digestion of the polymerase chain reaction products amplified with a set of primer for tBNALUR(UUR) Adenosin-to guanidine substitution, occurring at nucleotide position 3243 in tRNALUR(UUR) gene in comparison with reference sequences was confirmed.
Acidosis, Lactic ; Basal Ganglia ; Diabetes Complications ; Diabetes Mellitus* ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 ; Digestion ; DNA, Mitochondrial* ; Female ; Guanidine ; Hearing Loss, Bilateral ; Humans ; Insulin* ; MELAS Syndrome ; Mothers ; Optic Nerve Diseases ; Point Mutation* ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Seizures