Association Between Hearing Impairment and Cardiometabolic Multimorbidity Among Middle-Aged and Older Adults in China

This study examined the association between hearing impairment (HI) and the risk of cardiometabolic multimorbidity (CMM) in middle-aged and older adults, providing evidence to support early warning and screening of high-risk CMM populations. This study analyzed data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) spanning 2011 to 2018. The analysis included 9,035 participants aged 45 years and older. The association between HI and the risk of CMM was investigated using multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression, Kaplan–Meier survival curves, and subgroup analyses. The results were as follows: Over a median follow-up of 7 years, 382 incident CMM cases were documented. Compared to individuals with normal hearing, those with mild HI had a 31% increased risk of CMM (Hazard Ratio [HR] = 1.31, 95% Confidence Interval [CI]: 1.04–1.64), while those with severe HI had a 56% increased risk (HR = 1.56, 95% CI: 1.16–2.10). Subgroup analyses revealed that among women, the risk of CMM was significantly elevated by 51% (HR = 1.51, 95% CI: 1.11-2.00) for mild HI and by 56% (HR = 1.56, 95% CI: 1.03–2.37) for severe HI. Among individuals aged ≥ 60 years, severe HI was associated with a 69% increased risk (HR = 1.69, 95% CI: 1.14–2.51). However, no statistically significant associations were observed in men or in the 45–60 age group ( P >0.05). Our findings suggest that HI is an independent risk factor for incident CMM in middle-aged and older adults, with the association being more pronounced in women and individuals aged 60 years or older.