Hearing loss in rheumatic disease
Project managers
ABOUT THE PROJECT
Several rheumatic diseases are associated with hearing loss, and in some groups the risk appears to be two to four times higher than in the general population. Yet we know little about how great this risk actually is, who is most at risk, and what mechanisms may explain the connection. Previous studies have often been small and lacked good, objective hearing measurements.
Hearing loss is an important cause of reduced quality of life, social isolation and challenges in working life, and is also associated with an increased risk of cognitive impairment and dementia, among other things. If autoimmune rheumatic diseases increase the risk of hearing loss, early detection and better adaptation could be of great importance – both for the individual and for society.
In this project, we investigate the relationship between autoimmune rheumatic diseases and hearing loss by linking hearing measurements from the Trøndelag Health Study (HUNT) with national health registries. In total, over 78,000 hearing measurements are included that can be linked to registry data on rheumatic diagnoses and drug use. This provides a unique opportunity to follow the development of both disease and hearing over time.
The aim is to find out whether people with rheumatic diseases actually have an increased risk of hearing loss, and whether there is a need for more systematic hearing screening and earlier interventions in this group. A possible and positive outcome is also that today's targeted and effective treatment of autoimmune conditions has reduced the risk of hearing loss compared to the past. The findings may either provide a basis for new recommendations in clinical practice, or help to reassure patients and caregivers.
WHO CAN JOIN?
The study is register-based and uses data already collected from the HUNT study, linked to national health registries. Therefore, no new participants are recruited, and no one needs to sign up for the study.
WHAT DOES THE STUDY INVOLVE?
The study involves analysis of existing hearing measurements from HUNT, linked with information on rheumatic diagnoses and prescription data from national health registries.
Using this data, the researchers are investigating whether people with autoimmune rheumatic diseases are at higher risk of hearing loss, how hearing develops over time, and whether anti-inflammatory treatment can affect hearing – either protectively or negatively.
The project includes a PhD course, where the fellow will have primary responsibility for the analyses and will be the first author on the scientific articles.
The work is rooted in an interdisciplinary environment within rheumatology, audiology and epidemiology, with collaboration between researchers at Diakonhjemmet Hospital, the Norwegian Institute of Public Health (FHI) and the Norwegian Institute of the Working Environment (STAMI).
The project is funded by the Dam Foundation and is being carried out in collaboration between Diakonhjemmet Hospital, the Norwegian Hearing Association and several research groups.
For more information about the project, principal supervisor Alexander Mathiessen at Diakonhjemmet Hospital can be contacted at