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Risk of Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss in Patients with Psoriasis: A Retrospective Cohort Study

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Abstract

Significance

Psoriasis, a common immune-mediated disease, affects approximately 2 % of the population worldwide. Sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) might be a manifestation of systemic vascular involvement in autoimmune disease. However, to the best of our knowledge, there is no systematic English-language examination of the risk of SSNHL in patients with psoriasis.

Objectives

We tested the hypothesis that psoriasis is a risk factor for developing SSNHL.

Methods

Using Taiwan’s National Health Insurance Research Database, we conducted a retrospective cohort study to compare patients diagnosed with psoriasis from January 1, 2001 through December 31, 2006 (n = 28,817) with gender-, age-, and comorbidities-matched controls (n = 28,817). We followed each patient until the end of 2011 and evaluated the incidence of SSNHL for at least 6 years after the initial psoriasis diagnosis.

Results

The incidence of SSNHL was 1.51 times higher in the psoriasis cohort than in the control cohort (7.12 vs 4.73 per 10,000 person-years). Using Cox proportional hazard regressions, the adjusted hazard ratio (AHR) was 1.51 (95 % confidence interval [CI] 1.18–1.93). Comorbid hypertension was an independent risk factor for SSNHL (AHR 1.49; 95 % CI 1.05–2.13). However, the incidence rate ratios (IRRs) for each comorbidity subgroup in the psoriasis and control cohorts were not significantly different.

Conclusions and Relevance

Psoriasis was significantly associated with a higher risk of developing SSNHL. We suggest that physicians advise patients with psoriasis to seek medical attention if they have hearing impairments, because they may also have a higher risk of developing SSNHL.

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Acknowledgments

The study was designed and conducted by Y. S. Lin and Y. C. Yen. Y. C. Yen, F. J. Lai, and Y. S. Lin recorded the clinical data and supervised the writing of the manuscript. S. F. Wang did the epidemiological and statistical analyses. Y. S. Lin wrote the paper and was primarily responsible for its final content. Y. C. Yen, Y. S. Lin, S. F. Weng, and F. J. Lai have nothing to disclose and declare no conflicts of interest. This study was supported by a Grant from the Taipei Medical University–Chi Mei Medical Center Research Fund.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Ophthalmology, Chi Mei Medical Center, Liou Ying, Tainan, Taiwan

    Yung-Chang Yen

  2. Department of Nursing, Min Hwei College of Health Care Management, Tainan, Taiwan

    Yung-Chang Yen

  3. Center of General Education, South Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Tainan, Taiwan

    Yung-Song Lin

  4. Department of Otolaryngology, School of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, 250 Wu-Hsing Street, Taipei, 110, Taiwan

    Yung-Song Lin

  5. Department of Otolaryngology, Chi Mei Medical Center, Tainan, Taiwan

    Yung-Song Lin

  6. Department of Medical Research, Chi Mei Medical Center, Tainan, Taiwan

    Shih-Feng Weng

  7. Department of Hospital and Health Care Administration, Chia-Nan University of Pharmacy and Science, Tainan, Taiwan

    Shih-Feng Weng

  8. Department of Dermatology, Chi Mei Medical Center, Tainan, Taiwan

    Feng-Jie Lai

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  1. Yung-Chang Yen
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Correspondence to Yung-Song Lin.

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Yen, YC., Lin, YS., Weng, SF. et al. Risk of Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss in Patients with Psoriasis: A Retrospective Cohort Study. Am J Clin Dermatol 16, 213–220 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40257-015-0117-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40257-015-0117-9

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