Serum non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol is associated with the risk of sudden sensorineural hearing loss

The aim of this study was to investigate the association between the non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (non-HDL-C) with sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSHL) and the predictive value of non-HDL-C for SSHL. A total of 324 patients with SSHL and 972 well-matched controls were enrolled from 2009 to 2012 in Korea. The association of serum non-HDL-C with the risk of SSHL was evaluated using multivariate regression analysis, smooth curve fitting after adjusting for potential confounders. The discrimination ability of non-HDL-C in predicting SSHL was determined by calculating the area under the curve (AUC), and its clinical usefulness was evaluated by decision curve analysis. This was a secondary analysis of a case–control study. There was a non-linear relationship between the serum non-HDL-C and the incidence of SSHL. After adjustment for potential confounders, the incidence of SSHL rose significantly with ascending quartiles of serum non-HDL-C (using Q1 as the reference group, the OR [95% CI] of Q2, Q3, and Q4 were 4.34 [2.43–7.74], 7.08 [3.99–12.56], and 20.88 [11.86–36.75], respectively [P for trend <.0001]). The discrimination ability of serum non-HDL-C in predicting SSHL was 0.747 (95% CI, 0.717–0.776), and the AUC was 0.733 (95% CI, 0.705–0.777) in the internal validation. Elevated serum non-HDL-C was strongly associated with increased risk of SSHL, and it may play a role as a useful biomarker in predicting the risk of SSHL.