Obesity affects the association between Serum Klotho and age-related hearing loss: A cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVE

The influence of obesity on the interplay between Klotho and age-related hearing loss (ARHL) requires further exploration. This study investigates the impact of obesity on the correlation between Serum Klotho levels and ARHL prevalence in a large cohort.

METHODS

The present study analyzed data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) involving 3355 participants. Participants were stratified based on body mass index (BMI) into non-obese (BMI < 30 kg/m²) and obese (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m²) groups. We then assessed the interaction between serum Klotho levels and the risk of ARHL using multivariable logistic regression. Restricted cubic splines were employed to evaluate the dose-response relationship between serum Klotho and ARHL in both non-obese and obese groups.

RESULTS

In non-obese participants, serum Klotho levels were significantly associated with ARHL in both univariate (OR = 0.84, 95 % CI 0.77-0.93, p < 0.001) and multivariable analyses (OR = 0.88, 95 % CI 0.79-0.99, p = 0.034). A restricted cubic spline model confirmed a linear relationship between serum Klotho and ARHL in this group (p for non-linearity = 0.969). Conversely, no significant association was found in obese participants. These findings underscore a persistent association between serum Klotho and ARHL in non-obese individuals after adjusting for confounding factors.

CONCLUSION

Obesity appears to modulate the association between serum Klotho levels and age-related hearing loss, offering potential insights for improving prevention and management strategies for hearing impairment.