People with rheumatoid arthritis are at increased risk of hearing loss
A Taiwanese study has found that the risk of getting hearing loss is nearly twice as high if you suffer from rheumatoid arthritis compared to those who do not live with the condition.
The risk of getting hearing loss when having rheumatoid arthritis was 1.91 higher, according to the study.
Contributing risk factors
Men and the elderly are at higher risk, the study found. Cardiovascular comorbidities were also associated with a further increased risk of hearing loss for patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
On the other side, the study found that the use of medication against rheumatoid arthritis reduced the risk of hearing loss.
About the study
The study examined 18,267 patients diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis in the period 2000 – 2006 and compared them with a control group of 76,086 persons without rheumatoid arthritis. The study used claim data in the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database.
The study “Retrospective cohort study on risk of hearing loss in patients with rheumatoid arthritis using claim data” was published in BMJ Open in November 2017.
Sources: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov and BMJ Open