Association of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome With Sensorineural Hearing Loss: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Despite certain studies indicating hearing impairments in individuals with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), the correlation between PCOS and sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) remains inconclusive. This study aimed to investigate the association between PCOS and SNHL.

A systematic literature search was conducted using PubMed, MEDLINE, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library from inception to June 24, 2024.

This meta-analysis included cross-sectional, case-control, or cohort studies examining the association between PCOS and SNHL without language or regional restrictions. Case reports, case series, animal studies, and in vitro studies were excluded. We adhered to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses guidelines and utilized the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale to assess the risk of bias in the included studies.

After performing the systematic review, we conducted a meta-analysis that included 489 patients from 5 studies: 349 patients with PCOS and 140 age- and sex-matched controls without PCOS. The meta-analysis compared the mean differences in frequency-specific pure-tone thresholds between patients with PCOS and matched controls, providing 95% confidence intervals for these differences. Given the expected clinical heterogeneity, we employed the DerSimonian and Laird random-effects model. Our results revealed significant hearing loss at specific frequencies (1000, 4000, 8000, 10,000, 12,000, 14,000, 16,000, 18,000, and 20,000 Hz) in the PCOS group compared to the control group (P < .05). Furthermore, the degree of hearing loss is greater at higher frequencies.

This meta-analysis demonstrated an association between PCOS and SNHL, particularly at higher frequencies.