Herpes zoster does not increase the risk of sudden sensory neural hearing loss: a longitudinal follow-up study using a national sample cohort

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the risk of sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) in Herpes zoster patients from a representative population cohort.

Design: A longitudinal follow-up study

Study sample: Data were obtained from the Korean National Health Insurance Service-National Sample Cohort for the period from 2002 to 2013. We matched 61,702 subjects in the Herpes zoster group with subjects in a control group (246,808 subjects with no history of Herpes zoster) based on demographic factors (age, sex, income, and region of residence) and medical history (diabetes, dyslipidemia, and hypertension). The crude (simple) and adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) for Herpes zoster with SSNHL were analysed using the Cox-proportional hazard model.

Results: Only 0.5% (338/61,364) of the Herpes zoster group and 0.7% (1664/245,144) of the control group showed SSNHL. The Herpes zoster group did not exhibit a higher rate of SSNHL (adjusted HR = 0.81, 95% CI = 0.72–0.91, p < 0.001) than the control group. In subgroup analyses, no age subgroups showed a significant risk of SSNHL in the Herpes zoster group.

Conclusions: After adjusting for confounding factors, the risk of SSNHL did not increase in the Herpes zoster group compared with the control group.