Association between Albumin and Hearing Loss: A Cross-Sectional Study Using Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (1999–2012, 2015–2018)

Objective We investigated the association between albumin levels and hearing loss.

A cross-sectional analysis was conducted using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) for the periods 1999–2012 and 2015–2018. Participants aged ≥20 years were included. Data on albumin levels, hearing ability, and relevant covariates were collected.

The final sample comprised 12,133 adults with a mean age of 48.9 ± 17.5 years; 60.9% were non-Hispanic white, and 51.1% were men. Hearing loss was defined as a threshold of ≥20 dB. The odds ratios for low-frequency, speech-frequency, and high-frequency hearing loss were 0.69 (95% CI: 0.56–0.84, p < 0.001), 0.59 (95% CI: 0.49–0.73, p < 0.001), and 0.62 (95% CI: 0.51–0.76, p < 0.001), respectively.

These findings suggest that albumin levels are significantly associated with hearing loss in adults in the United States. However, further research into the underlying mechanisms is needed. Competing Interest Statement The authors have declared no competing interest. Funding Statement Yes Author Declarations I confirm all relevant ethical guidelines have been followed, and any necessary IRB and/or ethics committee approvals have been obtained. Not Applicable The details of the IRB/oversight body that provided approval or exemption for the research described are given below: This study was a secondary analysis of de-identified data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). The NHANES protocol was approved by the National Center for Health Statistics Research Ethics Review Board all participants provided written informed consent. As no new data were collected and all information is publicly available, additional institutional review board approval was not required for this secondary analysis. I confirm that all necessary patient/participant consent has been obtained and the appropriate institutional forms have been archived, and that any patient/participant/sample identifiers included were not known to anyone (e.g., hospital staff, patients or participants themselves) outside the research group so cannot be used to identify individuals. Not Applicable I understand that all clinical trials and any other prospective interventional studies must be registered with an ICMJE-approved registry, such as ClinicalTrials.gov. I confirm that any such study reported in the manuscript has been registered and the trial registration ID is provided (note: if posting a prospective study registered retrospectively, please provide a statement in the trial ID field explaining why the study was not registered in advance). Not Applicable I have followed all appropriate research reporting guidelines, such as any relevant EQUATOR Network research reporting checklist(s) and other pertinent material, if applicable. Not Applicable Data Availability All relevant data are publicly available from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) repository hosted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The datasets can be accessed at https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nhanes/index.htm.