Associations of Retinal Vessel Caliber With Hearing Status in Childhood and Midlife A Cross-Generational Population-Based Study

摘要

Question Are differences in retinal vessel caliber associated with hearing threshold and hearing loss in mid-childhood and midlife? Findings In this population-based cross-sectional study of 1281 children and 1255 adults, wider retinal venules and narrower retinal arterioles were associated with hearing loss by midlife, with venular associations possibly emerging by age 11 to 12 years. Meaning Microvascular health may contribute to the pathogenesis of hearing loss across the life course, warranting replication and mechanistic studies to inform causal inference and prevention efforts.