The atherogenic index (ATH index) as a potential predictive marker of idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss: a case control study.

Background: The importance of blood lipids in the pathogenesis of sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) is widely discussed in the literature. However, the published results that hyperlipidaemia causes hearing problems are contradictory. The objective of this study was to establish whether increased lipid levels affect the risk of idiopathic SSNHL.