When CKM Syndrome Stage Is Not a Severity Scale: Audiometric Hearing Thresholds in Older U.S. Adults
- 1University of Health Sciences - Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City
Abstract
ObjectiveTo examine whether bilateral four-frequency pure-tone average (PTA4) increased across operational cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic (CKM) stages and assess associations with individual CKM components.
DesignCross-sectional National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2017-March 2020 pre-pandemic analysis. Survey-weighted models adjusted for demographics, education, smoking, and noise exposure.
Study sampleAdults aged 70-79 years (n = 994); stage analysis n = 285; waist model n = 778.
ResultsCovariate-adjusted mean bilateral PTA4 thresholds did not increase consistently across stages. No planned Stage 2-4 comparison met the Holm criterion; Stage 4 minus Stage 3 was 4.45 dB HL (95% CI, - 0.61 to 9.51; Holm p = 0.246). Stage 2-4-only heterogeneity was not supported (p = 0.197). The five-stage omnibus was significant (p < 0.001), but inference was limited by sparse lower-stage support, including one Stage 0 participant. Waist circumference alone met the nine-test Holm criterion: +1.57 dB HL per 10 cm (95% CI, 0.74 to 2.39; Holm p = 0.00547).
ConclusionsGreater waist circumference was associated with higher PTA4, but this cross-sectional association does not establish a hearing benefit from reducing waist circumference. These data do not establish operational CKM stage as a graded indicator of PTA4 in adults aged 70-79 years.
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BibTeX
@misc{le2026when,
title = {{When CKM Syndrome Stage Is Not a Severity Scale: Audiometric Hearing Thresholds in Older U.S. Adults}},
author = {D. M. Le and S. T. Tran and V. C. Nguyen},
howpublished = {medRxiv},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.64898/2026.09.11.26362649},
url = {https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.09.11.26362649v1},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - When CKM Syndrome Stage Is Not a Severity Scale: Audiometric Hearing Thresholds in Older U.S. Adults
AU - D. M. Le
AU - S. T. Tran
AU - V. C. Nguyen
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/11
PB - medRxiv
DO - 10.64898/2026.09.11.26362649
UR - https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.09.11.26362649v1
AB - ObjectiveTo examine whether bilateral four-frequency pure-tone average (PTA4) increased across operational cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic (CKM) stages and assess associations with individual CKM components. DesignCross-sectional National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2017-March 2020 pre-pandemic analysis. Survey-weighted models adjusted for demographics, education, smoking, and noise exposure. Study sampleAdults aged 70-79 years (n = 994); stage analysis n = 285; waist model n = 778. ResultsCovariate-adjusted mean bilateral PTA4 thresholds did not increase consistently across stages. No planned Stage 2-4 comparison met the Holm criterion; Stage 4 minus Stage 3 was 4.45 dB HL (95% CI, - 0.61 to 9.51; Holm p = 0.246). Stage 2-4-only heterogeneity was not supported (p = 0.197). The five-stage omnibus was significant (p < 0.001), but inference was limited by sparse lower-stage support, including one Stage 0 participant. Waist circumference alone met the nine-test Holm criterion: +1.57 dB HL per 10 cm (95% CI, 0.74 to 2.39; Holm p = 0.00547). ConclusionsGreater waist circumference was associated with higher PTA4, but this cross-sectional association does not establish a hearing benefit from reducing waist circumference. These data do not establish operational CKM stage as a graded indicator of PTA4 in adults aged 70-79 years.
ER -