The Value of Plasma Atherogenic Index in Prognosis of Sudden Hearing Loss.

Background: The impact of lipid parameters on hearing loss has been extensively studied in the literature. However, there is currently no study investigating the prognostic factor of plasma atherogenic index in patients with sudden hearing loss. This study aimed to evaluate the relationship of plasma atherogenic index in patients with sudden hearing loss.

Methods: Plasma atherogenic index is calculated using the logarithmic ratio of triglycerides [mg/dL] to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ([mg/dL]) based on lipid parameters. The patients were divided into tertiles according to their plasma atherogenic index values and the role of plasma atherogenic index on prognosis was investigated among the tertiles. The difference between baseline and control audiometer values for each patient was calculated, and a linear regression analysis was used to determine its statistical significance.

Results: A total of 84 sudden hearing loss patients (57 male: 68%; 27 female: 32%) were included in the study. The mean age of the study participants was 45.3 ± 14.0. There was an inverse relationship between plasma atherogenic index and difference of audiometer values. Linear regression analyses revealed odds ratio and 95% confidence intervals of 0.405 (0.123-1.331) with P=.135 for 500 Hz, 0.371 (0.071-0.990) with P=.048 for 1000 Hz, 0.319 (0.119-0.851) with P=.024 for 2000 Hz and 0.406 (0.161-0.992) with P=.049 for 4000 Hz.

Conclusion: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to demonstrate that plasma atherogenic index can serve as an indicator of a poor prognosis in the treatment of sudden hearing loss.