Sensorineural hearing loss in stroke: an age-matched retrospective study.

Objective: To compare characteristics between stroke populations with and without sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) and assess the impact of SNHL on stroke outcome.

Methods: A retrospective study of patients admitted with stroke was carried out. Patients were divided into two groups, where group A were diagnosed with SNHL and group B were without SNHL. Baseline age, gender, vascular risk factors and disability were compared. Logistic regression analyses were performed with three-month mortality and SNHL as dependent variables.

Results: A total of 631 admissions were reviewed, with mean age 79.2 years, including 305 patients with SNHL and 326 without. More severe disability was more prevalent in patients with SNHL. Sensorineural hearing loss was not associated with increased mortality (odds ratio = 1.1, 95 per cent confidence interval = 0.7-2.0, = 0.668). Hypertension was present in 210 (68.9 per cent) with SNHL versus 189 (58 per cent) without SNHL ( = 0.005). Small-vessel disease aetiology was more prevalent in SNHL 51 (16.7 per cent) versus 30 (9.2 per cent) without SNHL ( = 0.005).

Conclusion: Sensorineural hearing loss appears to have an association with stroke of small-vessel disease aetiology and hypertension. Sensorineural hearing loss does not affect three-month mortality but is associated with increased disability.