Hearing loss could be stroke warning

A sudden loss of hearing could be an early warning sign of an impending stroke, according to research at Taipei Medical University, which linked hearing loss and strokes in a study of 1,400 adults hospitalised in 1998 with a sudden hearing problem.

Over a five year period, 180 hearing loss patients (13%), and 441 control patients (8%), suffered a stroke.

The incidence of stroke was 1.64 times greater among the hearing loss group, when the findings were adjusted for gender, income, location, and other conditions that could impact stroke.

Among patients with hearing loss, 12% of strokes occurred within three months of suddenly losing hearing, 31% took place in the first year, and 51% happened by the end of the second year.

Dr Herng-Ching Lin, the research study leader, said that people who suffered a sudden loss of hearing,  especially the elderly or those with vascular conditions, should arrange a thorough health evaluation with their doctor.

As well, follow-on medical checks needed to occur because a high percentage of the strokes did not happen until up to two years after the hearing loss.