Prevalence of asymmetric hearing loss in Korean adults

초록

BackgroundRepresentative data on asymmetric hearing loss (AHL) in Korea remain limited.Aims/ObjectivesTo estimate AHL prevalence among Korean adults aged >= 40 years and characterize age-standardized prevalence, frequency-specific asymmetry, laterality, and interaural difference (IAD) distribution.Material and MethodsData from the 2022-2023 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey were analyzed. Adults aged >= 40 years with complete bilateral pure-tone audiometry and type A or type C tympanograms were included. AHL was defined as an absolute IAD >= 15 dB HL in the four-frequency pure-tone average. Weighted analyses accounted for the complex sampling design.ResultsAmong 6,574 participants, 447 had AHL. Weighted prevalence was 6.5% (95% confidence interval [CI], 5.9-7.2%), and directly age-standardized prevalence was 6.0% (approximate 95% CI, 5.3-6.6%). Prevalence increased from 3.2% at 40-49 years to 11.9% at >= 80 years. Older age and male sex were independently associated with AHL; occupational noise exposure was not. Frequency-specific asymmetry was most common at 4 kHz. Among AHL cases, left-sided AHL predominated, and IADs were concentrated near the lower end of the diagnostic range.Conclusions and SignificanceAHL increased with age and showed high-frequency and left-sided predominance. These findings provide population-based reference data and support cautious interpretation of criterion-defined AHL. (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(AHL)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic).(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)40(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)AHL(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic), (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic),(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic),(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(IAD)(sic)(sic)(sic).(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)2022-2023(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic).(sic)(sic)(sic)40(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic),(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)A(sic)(sic)C(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic).AHL(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)IAD >= 15dB HL. (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic).(sic)(sic)(sic)6574(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic), 447(sic)(sic)(sic)AHL.(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic) 6.5%(95% (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic) [CI]: 5.9%-7.2%), (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic) 6.0%((sic) 95% CI: 5.3%-6.6%).(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic) 40-49 (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic) 3.2% (sic)(sic)(sic) >= 80 (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic) 11.9%.(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic) (AHL) (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic);(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic).(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic) 4kHz.(sic) AHL (sic)(sic)(sic), (sic)(sic) AHL (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic), (sic) IAD (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic).(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)AHL (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic), (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic).(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic), (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic) AHL (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic).

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