High-frequency hearing loss, occupational noise exposure and hypertension: a cross-sectional study in male workers
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The association between occupational noise exposure and hypertension is inconsistent because of an exposure bias caused by outer-ear measurements of noise levels among workers. This study used hearing loss values (HLVs) measured at 4...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2011-04-01
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| Series: | Environmental Health |
| Online Access: | http://www.ehjournal.net/content/10/1/35 |
| _version_ | 1819052557636468736 |
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| author | Lai Jim-Shoung Chen Ren-Yin Huang Kuei-Hung Liu Chiu-Shong Chang Ta-Yuan Bao Bo-Ying |
| author_facet | Lai Jim-Shoung Chen Ren-Yin Huang Kuei-Hung Liu Chiu-Shong Chang Ta-Yuan Bao Bo-Ying |
| author_sort | Lai Jim-Shoung |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The association between occupational noise exposure and hypertension is inconsistent because of an exposure bias caused by outer-ear measurements of noise levels among workers. This study used hearing loss values (HLVs) measured at 4 kHz and 6 kHz in both ears as a biomarker to investigate the chronic effects of noise exposure on hypertension in 790 aircraft-manufacturing workers.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Participants were divided into a high hearing loss (HL) group (n = 214; average HLVs ≥ 30 decibel [dB] at 4 kHz or 6 kHz bilaterally; 83.1 ± 4.9 A-weighted decibel [dBA]), a median HL group (n = 302; 15 ≤ average HLVs < 30 dB at 4 kHz or 6 kHz bilaterally; 83.1 ± 4.4 dBA) and a low HL group (n = 274; average HLVs < 15 dB at 4 kHz or 6 kHz bilaterally; 82.2 ± 5.1 dBA) based on the results of pure tone audiometry. Multivariate logistic regressions were used to estimate the risk of hypertension between groups.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The prevalence rates of hypertension were significantly higher in the high HL (43.5%; p = 0.021) and median HL (42.1%; p = 0.029) groups than in the low HL group (33.2%). The high HL and median HL workers had 1.48-fold (95% confidence interval [95%CI] = 1.02-2.15; p = 0.040) and 1.46-fold (95%CI = 1.03-2.05; p = 0.031) higher risks of hypertension relative to the low HL workers. Employment duration was significantly and positively correlated with the risk of hypertension among workers with average HLVs ≥ 15 dB at 4 kHz (p < 0.001) and 6 kHz (p < 0.001) bilaterally.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Our findings suggest that high-frequency hearing loss is a good biomarker of occupational noise exposure and that noise-induced hearing loss may be associated with the risk of hypertension.</p> |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-21T12:21:44Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-ca54adafd6814b2d828a570d30e3b956 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1476-069X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-21T12:21:44Z |
| publishDate | 2011-04-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Environmental Health |
| spelling | doaj.art-ca54adafd6814b2d828a570d30e3b9562022-12-21T19:04:17ZengBMCEnvironmental Health1476-069X2011-04-011013510.1186/1476-069X-10-35High-frequency hearing loss, occupational noise exposure and hypertension: a cross-sectional study in male workersLai Jim-ShoungChen Ren-YinHuang Kuei-HungLiu Chiu-ShongChang Ta-YuanBao Bo-Ying<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The association between occupational noise exposure and hypertension is inconsistent because of an exposure bias caused by outer-ear measurements of noise levels among workers. This study used hearing loss values (HLVs) measured at 4 kHz and 6 kHz in both ears as a biomarker to investigate the chronic effects of noise exposure on hypertension in 790 aircraft-manufacturing workers.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Participants were divided into a high hearing loss (HL) group (n = 214; average HLVs ≥ 30 decibel [dB] at 4 kHz or 6 kHz bilaterally; 83.1 ± 4.9 A-weighted decibel [dBA]), a median HL group (n = 302; 15 ≤ average HLVs < 30 dB at 4 kHz or 6 kHz bilaterally; 83.1 ± 4.4 dBA) and a low HL group (n = 274; average HLVs < 15 dB at 4 kHz or 6 kHz bilaterally; 82.2 ± 5.1 dBA) based on the results of pure tone audiometry. Multivariate logistic regressions were used to estimate the risk of hypertension between groups.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The prevalence rates of hypertension were significantly higher in the high HL (43.5%; p = 0.021) and median HL (42.1%; p = 0.029) groups than in the low HL group (33.2%). The high HL and median HL workers had 1.48-fold (95% confidence interval [95%CI] = 1.02-2.15; p = 0.040) and 1.46-fold (95%CI = 1.03-2.05; p = 0.031) higher risks of hypertension relative to the low HL workers. Employment duration was significantly and positively correlated with the risk of hypertension among workers with average HLVs ≥ 15 dB at 4 kHz (p < 0.001) and 6 kHz (p < 0.001) bilaterally.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Our findings suggest that high-frequency hearing loss is a good biomarker of occupational noise exposure and that noise-induced hearing loss may be associated with the risk of hypertension.</p>http://www.ehjournal.net/content/10/1/35 |
| spellingShingle | Lai Jim-Shoung Chen Ren-Yin Huang Kuei-Hung Liu Chiu-Shong Chang Ta-Yuan Bao Bo-Ying High-frequency hearing loss, occupational noise exposure and hypertension: a cross-sectional study in male workers Environmental Health |
| title | High-frequency hearing loss, occupational noise exposure and hypertension: a cross-sectional study in male workers |
| title_full | High-frequency hearing loss, occupational noise exposure and hypertension: a cross-sectional study in male workers |
| title_fullStr | High-frequency hearing loss, occupational noise exposure and hypertension: a cross-sectional study in male workers |
| title_full_unstemmed | High-frequency hearing loss, occupational noise exposure and hypertension: a cross-sectional study in male workers |
| title_short | High-frequency hearing loss, occupational noise exposure and hypertension: a cross-sectional study in male workers |
| title_sort | high frequency hearing loss occupational noise exposure and hypertension a cross sectional study in male workers |
| url | http://www.ehjournal.net/content/10/1/35 |
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