Association between triglyceride/high-density lipoprotein ratio and hearing impairment in a Korean population

Objective: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the clinical association between triglyceride (TG)/high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) ratio and hearing impairment in a Korean population. Patients and methods: This was a cross-sectional study (n=18,004). Participants were divided into 4 quartiles based on their TG/HDL-C ratio: first quartile (1Q), second quartile (2Q), third quartile (3Q), and fourth quartile (4Q). The threshold values at 0.5, 1, and 2kHz were averaged to obtain the low- or mid-frequency pure-tone average (Low/Mid-Freq), and the values at 3, 4, and 6kHz were averaged to obtain the high-frequency pure-tone average (High-Freq). The average hearing threshold (AHT) was calculated as the pure-tone average of the thresholds at 0.5, 1, 2, and 3kHz. Hearing loss (HL) was defined as an AHT of >40dB. Results: The Low/Mid-Freq, High-Freq, and AHT values were the highest among participants in 4Q than among those in the other quartiles. Compared with those in 1Q, 2Q, or 3Q, participants in 4Q exhibited a 1.32, 1.27, and 1.16-fold higher odds for HL, respectively. Partial correlation coefficients for TG/HDL-C ratio were 0.065 for Low/Mid-Freq, 0.041 for High-Freq, and 0.060 for AHT (P<0.001 for all). Linear regression analyses showed that SE for TG/HDL-C ratio was 0.293 +/- 0.038 on multivariate analysis. In addition, all subgroup analyses except diabetes participants showed statistically significant association between TG/HDL-C ratio and HL. Conclusion: High TG/HDL-C ratio was associated with hearing impairment in a Korean population.