Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40329068›Full record

ArticleSleep & breathing = Schlaf & Atmung2025

Association between obstructive sleep apnea and hearing loss among a cohort of emergency responders.

David W Appel, David G Goldfarb, Rachel Zeig-Owens, Jaeun Choi, Gregory Flamme, Yang Liu, Theresa Schwartz, David J Prezant

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Sleep & breathing = Schlaf & Atmung, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

David W Appel *The Bureau of Health Services and the FDNY World Trade Center Health Program, Fire Department of the City of New York, Brooklyn, NY, USA.
David G Goldfarb *The Bureau of Health Services and the FDNY World Trade Center Health Program, Fire Department of the City of New York, Brooklyn, NY, USA. David.goldfarb@fdny.nyc.gov.ORCID 0000-0003-2682-7543
Rachel Zeig-OwensThe Bureau of Health Services and the FDNY World Trade Center Health Program, Fire Department of the City of New York, Brooklyn, NY, USA.
Jaeun ChoiDivision of Biostatistics, Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA.
Gregory FlammeStephenson and Stephenson, Research and Consulting, LLC Batavia, Batavia, OH, USA.
Yang LiuThe Bureau of Health Services and the FDNY World Trade Center Health Program, Fire Department of the City of New York, Brooklyn, NY, USA.
Theresa SchwartzThe Bureau of Health Services and the FDNY World Trade Center Health Program, Fire Department of the City of New York, Brooklyn, NY, USA.
David J PrezantThe Bureau of Health Services and the FDNY World Trade Center Health Program, Fire Department of the City of New York, Brooklyn, NY, USA.

Funding

Einstein-Montefiore Clinical and Translational Science Award HubUM1TR004400 · NCATS · ALBERT EINSTEIN COLLEGE OF MEDICINE · PI Jessica Kahn, Mimi Y Kim · 2023 to 2026
$17.3M
NCATS NIH HHS UM1 TR004400NIOSH CDC HHS 75D301-22-R-72142NIOSH CDC HHS 75D301-22-R-72244
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeWe sought to determine whether risk for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and OSA severity are associated with sensorineural hearing loss (HL) among emergency responders.

methodsWe evaluated two independent variables: OSA risk, categorized using Berlin Questionnaire criteria, and OSA severity, determined by polysomnogram (PSG) apnea-hypopnea indices (AHI). Logistic regression, adjusted for confounders, was used to assess the association between each OSA exposure and the outcome of HL among a cohort of emergency responders.

resultsThe study cohort included 13,909 participants with audiometric data, 12,834 with Berlin Questionnaire data, and 4,024 participants with PSG data. Those with high and very high OSA risk showed significantly elevated odds of HL at speech frequencies, with adjusted odds ratios (OR) of 1.34 (95% CI: 1.14-1.58; p < 0.01) and 1.56 (95% CI: 1.30-1.88; p < 0.01), respectively, compared to those with no OSA risk. Combining very high and high risk validated category groupings for the Berlin, those individuals had 41% higher odds for HL over speech frequencies compared to those with no risk (OR = 1.41; 95% CI = 1.21-1.65; p < 0.01). Those with PSG-determined severe OSA had higher adjusted odds of HL at speech frequencies than those with no OSA; OR of 1.33 (95% CI: 1.00-1.78; p = 0.04).

conclusionsWe report a significant association between OSA and HL among emergency responders. Our results underscore a need for an analysis of the longitudinal association between OSA and HL to identify potential causality and for integrated health interventions that target both conditions in this responder population.

Indexed as

Emergency RespondersHearing Loss, SensorineuralOccupational DiseasesSleep Apnea, ObstructiveAdultAgedCohort StudiesFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedPolysomnographyRisk FactorsSurveys and QuestionnairesAudiometryBerlin questionnaireObstructive sleep apneaPolysomnogram

Identifiers

PMID40329068
PMCPMC12055870

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.