Haemodynamic profile of young subjects with transient tinnitus

Abstract

Objective: Our objective was to contribute to drawing a haemodynamic profile of healthy subjects prone to labyrinthine disorders of functional origin. The aim was to determine if some haemodynamic aspects could characterize young people with a history of transient tinnitus, considered as an early symptom of cochlear damage possibly derived from hypoperfusion. In one year we studied 60 consecutive subjects (28 ± 5.2, range 18–40 years): 24 who experienced transient tinnitus, and 36 without tinnitus. Exclusion criteria were a history of audiological and otological impairment, ear surgery, and known cardiac abnormalities. A clinical and echographic cardiac evaluation was performed, with assessment of blood pressure, heart rate, and left ventricular structure and function. Results: All results were within the normal range in both groups. The tinnitus group had a slightly lower body mass index (BMI) (p = 0.05) and body surface area (BSA) (p <0.05), while age, blood pressure and heart rate were similar in the two groups. Tinnitus subjects showed reduced diastolic and systolic left ventricular internal dimensions (p = 0.01 and 0.02, respectively) and left ventricular end-diastolic volume (p = 0.02). Left ventricular mass (LVM) related to height 2.7 and observed LVM were reduced in tinnitus subjects (both p = 0.02), while LVM related to BSA had a less marked reduction (p = 0.04), and predicted LVM and appropriate LVM showed only a borderline statistically significant reduction (p = 0.05). Functional systolic left ventricular aspects were similar in the two groups apart from a lower stroke volume in tinnitus subjects compared with the no-tinnitus group (p = 0.03), and no differences were observed in diastolic function indexes between the two groups. Conclusion: Subjects with a history of transient tinnitus, although presenting normal echocardiographic parameters, seem to have smaller somatic and cardiac structural characteristics, which could be less adequate in maintaining peripheral perfusion. In particular, a terminal circle district such as the cochlear one could thus show its stress through tinnitus. This observation indirectly supports the theory of a cochlear origin of tinnitus in a number of cases and is reminiscent of what happens in hypertension and heart failure.

Key words::

• tinnitus
• haemodynamics
• echocardiography
• healthy subjects

Declartion of interest: The authors report no conflict of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.