The association between cardiovascular health and peripheral and central auditory functions in adults: a protocol for a systematic review

Introduction The ability to process sounds decreases with advancing age and the already high prevalence of people with hearing loss (HL) is estimated to increase further over time. Hearing loss reduces speech identification which is important for day-to-day communication. In addition, it can lead to social isolation, depression, and lower quality of life. Current hearing rehabilitation strategies (eg, hearing aids) provide some benefits, but are not always accepted by hearing-impaired listeners and are less successful in real-life listening situations. Consequently, alternative rehabilitation strategies, such as the manipulation of cardiovascular (CV) health for the prevention and rehabilitation of HL, should be explored. Some research suggests that CV health and auditory functions are related, but the existence of such a link has not been systematically evaluated. This manuscript outlines the protocol for a systematic review of published research on the association between CV health and peripheral and central auditory functions across the adult lifespan and for all levels of hearing abilities. Method and analysis The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses Protocols (PRISMA-P) checklist will be followed. Studies included for analysis will be original peer-reviewed articles, measuring cardiovascular health and hearing abilities to explore their relationship. Participants will be aged ≥18 years and will have various levels of hearing sensitivity and of CV health. Databases will be searched, using key words, to obtain evidence that meets the defined set of inclusion criteria. Data will be extracted and examined by two reviewers. Quality checks will occur, and, if appropriate, a meta-analysis will be performed. Data analysis will be completed and reported in a full systematic review, following the PRISMA guidelines. Ethics and dissemination No ethical approval is needed for the systematic review as only published data will be analysed. Findings will be disseminated at conferences and in peer-reviewed journals. Systematic review registration PROSPERO CRD42022353002 STRENGTHS AND LIMITATIONS OF THIS STUDY ### Competing Interest Statement The authors have declared no competing interest. ### Funding Statement This study did not receive any funding ### Author Declarations I confirm all relevant ethical guidelines have been followed, and any necessary IRB and/or ethics committee approvals have been obtained. Yes I confirm that all necessary patient/participant consent has been obtained and the appropriate institutional forms have been archived, and that any patient/participant/sample identifiers included were not known to anyone (e.g., hospital staff, patients or participants themselves) outside the research group so cannot be used to identify individuals. Yes I understand that all clinical trials and any other prospective interventional studies must be registered with an ICMJE-approved registry, such as ClinicalTrials.gov. I confirm that any such study reported in the manuscript has been registered and the trial registration ID is provided (note: if posting a prospective study registered retrospectively, please provide a statement in the trial ID field explaining why the study was not registered in advance). Yes I have followed all appropriate research reporting guidelines and uploaded the relevant EQUATOR Network research reporting checklist(s) and other pertinent material as supplementary files, if applicable. Yes All data produced in the present work are contained in the manuscript