Priorities for hearing loss prevention and estimates of global cause-specific burdens of hearing loss: a systematic rapid review.

Background: Hearing loss affects approximately 1·6 billion individuals worldwide. Many cases are preventable. We aimed to estimate the annual number of new hearing loss cases that could be attributed to meningitis, otitis media, congenital rubella syndrome, cytomegalovirus, and ototoxic medications, specifically aminoglycosides, platinum-based chemotherapeutics, and antimalarials.

Factors Associated With Self-Perceived Hearing Handicap in Adults From Hispanic/Latino Background: Findings From the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos.

Objectives: We sought to determine what factors, including acculturation (language and social contact preferences), were associated with self-perceived hearing handicap among adults from Hispanic/Latino background. We utilized the Aday-Andersen behavioral model of health services utilization to frame our hypotheses that predisposing characteristics (age, sex, education, city of residence, Hispanic/Latino background, and acculturation), enabling resources (annual income and current health insurance coverage), and need (measured hearing loss and self-reported hearing loss) would be related to clinically-significant self-perceived hearing handicap as measured by the Hearing Handicap Inventory - Screening (HHI-S) version.

Design: We analyzed baseline data collected from 2008 to 2011 as part of the multisite Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos.

Prescription Medication Use and Phantom Odor Perception Among US Adults.

Introduction: Prescription medication use may be associated with phantom odor perception. We evaluated associations between number of prescription medications and their therapeutic class and phantom odor perception among U.S.

Hearing Sensitivity, Cardiovascular Risk, and Neurocognitive Function: The Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL).

Importance: Both cardiovascular disease risk and hearing impairment are associated with cognitive dysfunction. However, the combined influence of the 2 risk factors on cognition is not well characterized.

Objective: To examine associations between hearing impairment, cardiovascular disease risk, and cognitive function.

RISK FACTORS FOR HEARING IMPAIRMENT IN TYPE 1 DIABETES.

Studies have demonstrated that glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) is a significant predictor of hearing impairment in type 1 diabetes. We identified additional factors associated with hearing impairment in participants with type 1 diabetes from the Diabetes Control and Complications Trial and its observational follow-up, the Epidemiology of Diabetes Interventions and Complications (DCCT/EDIC) study. A total of 1,150 DCCT/EDIC participants were recruited for the Hearing Study.

Hearing Aid Prevalence and Factors Related to Use Among Older Adults From the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos.

Importance: Hearing loss is highly prevalent in the rapidly growing and aging Hispanic/Latino population in the United States. However, little is known or understood about hearing aid use among US adults from Hispanic/Latino backgrounds.

Objective: To describe hearing aid prevalence and factors associated with hearing aid use among US adults of Hispanic/Latino backgrounds.

Phantom odor perception and vascular conditions among adults in the United States: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2011-2014.

Objectives/hypothesis: Phantom odor perception has been correlated with burden of vascular risk among older adults. We evaluated associations between vascular conditions and phantom odor perception among adults in the United States.

Study Design: Cross-sectional analysis.

Hearing Impairment and Type 1 Diabetes in the Diabetes Control and Complications Trial/Epidemiology of Diabetes Interventions and Complications (DCCT/EDIC) Cohort.

Objective: To evaluate the prevalence of hearing impairment in participants with type 1 diabetes enrolled in the Diabetes Control and Complications Trial/Epidemiology of Diabetes Interventions and Complications (DCCT/EDIC) study and compare with that of a spousal control group without diabetes. Among participants with type 1 diabetes, to evaluate the association of hearing impairment with prior DCCT therapy and overall glycemia.

Research Design And Methods: DCCT/EDIC participants ( = 1,150) and 288 spouses without diabetes were recruited for the DCCT/EDIC Hearing Study.

Factors Associated With Phantom Odor Perception Among US Adults: Findings From the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

Importance: Phantom odor perception can be a debilitating condition. Factors associated with phantom odor perception have not been reported using population-based epidemiologic data.

Objective: To estimate the prevalence of phantom odor perception among US adults 40 years and older and identify factors associated with this condition.

Risk Factors for Hearing Impairment among Adults with Diabetes: The Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL).

Aim: The aim was to examine risk factors for hearing impairment among Hispanic/Latino adults with diabetes.

Methods: Findings are based on 3384 participants aged 18-76 years with diagnosed or previously undetected diabetes who completed audiometric testing as part of the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos. We defined hearing impairment as the pure-tone average (PTA) >25 decibels hearing level [dB HL] of pure-tone thresholds at high frequencies (3000, 4000, 6000, and 8000 Hz) in the worse ear and defined a second hearing impairment outcome with the additional requirement of PTA >25 dB HL of low/mid-frequency (500, 1000, and 2000 Hz) thresholds in the worse ear.

Voice disorders and associated risk markers among young adults in the United States.

Objectives/hypothesis: To examine the prevalence of voice disorders in young adults and identify sociodemographic factors, health conditions, and behaviors associated with voice disorder prevalence.

Study Design: Cross-sectional analysis of data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health.

Methods: During home interviews, 14,794 young adults, aged 24 to 34 years, reported their health conditions and behaviors.

Prevalence and Risk Factors of Self-Reported Smell and Taste Alterations: Results from the 2011-2012 US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES).

Chemosensory problems challenge health through diminished ability to detect warning odors, consume a healthy diet, and maintain quality of life. We examined the prevalence and associated risk factors of self-reported chemosensory alterations in 3603 community-dwelling adults (aged 40+ years), from the nationally representative, US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2011-2012. In this new NHANES component, technicians surveyed adults in the home about perceived smell and taste problems, distortions, and diminished abilities since age 25 (termed "alterations"), and chemosensory-related health risks and behaviors.

Hearing loss in an aging American population: extent, impact, and management.

Despite contributing substantially to disability in the United States, age-related hearing loss is an underappreciated public health concern. Loss of hearing sensitivity has been documented in two-thirds of adults aged 70 years and older and has been associated with communication difficulties, lower health-related quality of life, and decreased physical and cognitive function. Management strategies for age-related hearing loss are costly, yet the indirect costs due to lost productivity among people with communication difficulties are also substantial and likely to grow.

Hearing aid use among older U.S. adults; the national health and nutrition examination survey, 2005-2006 and 2009-2010.

Objectives: The authors estimated the proportion of older adults in the United States who report hearing aid use among those likely to benefit. To more fully understand what factors underlie the low proportion of hearing aid use, the authors examined a variety of socio-demographic correlates as well as measures of health care access and insurance status in relation to hearing aid use among potential hearing aid candidates.

Design: The study makes use of cross-sectional data collected during 2005-2006 and 2009-2010 as part of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

Grafting in Arabidopsis.

Grafting provides a simple way to generate chimeric plants with regions of different genotypes and thus to assess the cell autonomy of gene action. The technique of grafting has been widely used in other species, but in Arabidopsis, its small size makes the process rather more demanding. However, there are now several well-established grafting procedures available, which we described here, and their use has already contributed greatly to understanding of such processes as shoot branching control, flowering, disease resistance, and systemic silencing.

Panel 1: Epidemiology, natural history, and risk factors.

Background: The First International Symposium on Recent Advances in Otitis Media (OM) with Effusion was held in Columbus, Ohio, in 1975. The symposium has been organized in the United States every 4 years since, followed by a research conference to (a) assess major research accomplishments, (b) identify important research questions and opportunities, (c) develop consensus on definitions and terminology, and (d) establish priorities with short- and long-term research goals. One of the principal areas reviewed quadrennially is Epidemiology, Natural History, and Risk Factors.

Diabetes knowledge and its relationship with achieving treatment recommendations in a national sample of people with type 2 diabetes.

Objective: We examined the prevalence of knowledge of A1C, blood pressure, and LDL cholesterol (ABC) levels and goals among people with diabetes, its variation by patient characteristics, and whether knowledge was associated with achieving levels of ABC control recommended for the general diabetic population.

Research Design And Methods: Data came from 1,233 adults who self-reported diabetes in the 2005-2008 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Participants reported their last ABC level and goals specified by their physician (not validated by medical record data).

Urine analysis of glucose tetrasaccharide by HPLC; a useful marker for the investigation of patients with Pompe and other glycogen storage diseases.

A high performance liquid chromatography method, adapted from an established urinary sugars method, has been developed for the analysis of a tetraglucose oligomer (Glc(4)) in urine. Pompe disease results from defects in the activity of lysosomal acid α-glucosidase (GAA) with patients typically excreting increased amounts of Glc(4). Rapid determination of GAA in dried blood spots is now possible.

Risk factors for hearing impairment among U.S. adults with diabetes: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1999-2004.

Objective: The objective of this study was to examine the risk factors of low/mid-frequency and high-frequency hearing impairment among a nationally representative sample of diabetic adults.

Research Design And Methods: Data came from 536 participants, aged 20-69 years, with diagnosed or undiagnosed diabetes who completed audiometric testing during 1999-2004 in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). We defined hearing impairment as the pure-tone average>25 dB hearing level of pure-tone thresholds at low/mid-frequencies (500; 1,000; and 2,000 Hz) and high frequencies (3,000; 4,000; 6,000; and 8,000 Hz) and identified independent risk factors using logistic regression.

Treatment of mucopolysaccharidosis type II (Hunter syndrome) with idursulfase: the relevance of clinical trial end points.

The current treatment of mucopolysaccharidosis type II (MPS II, Hunter syndrome) is enzyme replacement therapy with recombinant idursulfase (Elaprase®). The efficacy of ERT was established based primarily on reduction in urine glycosaminoglycans:creatinine (GAG:Cr) ratio and improvement in a composite score of predicted forced vital capacity (FVC% predicted) and 6-min walk-test distance (6MWT). We retrospectively reviewed these parameters in 11 boys with MPS II treated with idursulfase between April 2007 (or the time of diagnosis) and February 2010.

Potential mediators of diabetes-related hearing impairment in the U.S. population: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1999-2004.

Objective: We examined potential mediators of the reported association between diabetes and hearing impairment.

Research Design And Methods: Data come from 1,508 participants, aged 40-69 years, who completed audiometric testing during 1999-2004 in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). We defined hearing impairment as the pure-tone average >25 decibels hearing level of pure-tone thresholds at low/mid (500, 1,000, and 2,000 Hz) and high (3,000, 4,000, 6,000, and 8,000 Hz) frequencies.

Prevalence of diabetes and high risk for diabetes using A1C criteria in the U.S. population in 1988-2006.

OBJECTIVE We examined prevalences of previously diagnosed diabetes and undiagnosed diabetes and high risk for diabetes using recently suggested A1C criteria in the U.S. during 2003-2006.

Full accounting of diabetes and pre-diabetes in the U.S. population in 1988-1994 and 2005-2006.

Objective: We examined the prevalences of diagnosed diabetes, and undiagnosed diabetes and pre-diabetes using fasting and 2-h oral glucose tolerance test values, in the U.S. during 2005-2006.