# Age-related hearing loss in healthy older adults is associated with arterial stiffening and higher aortic systolic blood pressure: potential role of inflammation

## TL;DR

This study finds that age-related hearing loss in older adults is linked to arterial stiffening and higher aortic blood pressure, possibly influenced by inflammation.

## Contribution

The study is the first to show a direct link between aortic stiffness, aortic systolic blood pressure, and hearing loss in older adults, partially mediated by inflammatory biomarkers.

## Key findings

- Older adults had higher aortic stiffness and blood pressure compared to younger adults, along with worse hearing sensitivity.
- Aortic stiffness and aortic systolic blood pressure were correlated with hearing loss measures in both ears.
- The associations between aortic measures and hearing loss were attenuated after adjusting for inflammatory biomarkers like MMP-2 and resistin.

## Abstract

Age-related aortic stiffening increases aortic (central) blood pressure and flow pulsatility, resulting in microvascular dysfunction and target organ damage. The relationship between aortic stiffness, aortic blood pressure, and age-related hearing loss has not been fully determined. We hypothesize that aortic stiffness and aortic blood pressure will be associated with hearing loss and attenuated by inflammatory biomarkers [matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2), resistin, and vaspin]. Twenty-two younger (n = 11, 4M/7F, age 25.5 ± 2.1 years) and older (n = 11, 4M/7F, age 65.8 ± 0.9 years) adults completed resting measures of aortic stiffness (carotid–femoral pulse wave velocity, cfPWV), pulse wave analysis, and hearing sensitivity. Compared to young adults, older adults had higher cfPWV, aortic systolic blood pressure (aSBP), speech recognition thresholds (SRT), and pure tone averages (PTA) in the low (LFPTA) and high frequency (HFPTA) domains (all, p < 0.05). cfPWV was correlated with right ear (RE) LFPTA (r = 0.45, p = 0.04) and HFPTA (r = 0.53, p = 0.01) and left ear (LE) HFPTA (r = 0.52, p = 0.02). aSBP was correlated with RE SRT (r = 0.47, p = 0.03), LE SRT (r = 0.44, p = 0.04), RE LFPTA (r = 0.41, p = 0.05), and RE (r = 0.53, p = 0.01) and LE HFPTA (r = 0.46, p = 0.03). The relationship between cfPWV and aSBP and select PTA did not remain after adjusting for MMP-2 and resistin (p > 0.05). These data provide novel insights demonstrating that aortic stiffness and aSBP are related to reduced hearing sensitivity, which may, in part, be mediated by inflammation.