The Prognostic Significance of CHA2DS2-VASc Score in Sudden Hearing Loss

Background: To investigate whether the CHA2DS2-VASc score has a predictive value over the prognosis in patients with sudden hearing loss. Methods: Patients who were hospitalized in our clinic between 2011 and 2021 because of sudden hearing loss were included. Patient records were reviewed retrospectively. Treatment response was evaluated using Siegel criteria. Siegel criteria categorize treatment response as healing, partial response, slight improvement, and no response. Patients were divided into low-risk (less than 2 risk factors) and high-risk groups (2 or more risk factors) according to the CHA2DS2-VASc score. The relationship between response to treatment and cardiovascular risk factors using CHA2DS2-VASc score was investigated. Results: The study group consisted of 145 cases of idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss. Seventy (48.2%) patients were male, and 75 (51.8%) were female. The mean age of the patients was 43.73 +/- 17.5 (10-90) years. Median pretreatment Pure Tone Audiogram was 59 [43-68] dB and the posttreatment Pure Tone Audiogram was 44 [25-65] dB. Median CHA2DS2VASc score was 1. The low score CHA2DS2-VASc group had 97 (66.8%) patients and the high score CHA2DS2-VASc group had 48 (33.2%) patients. There was no significant correlation between Pure Tone Audiogram gain and the CHA2DS2-VASc score (r =0.066, P = .432). There was no difference between the CHA2DS2-VASc scores of the treatment response groups (P = .512). There was no significant difference between the patients with complete recovery and the rest in terms of their CHA2DS2-VASc scores (P = .613). Conclusion: The CHA2DS2-VASc score is not an effective tool in determining treatment response and prognosis in patients with sudden hearing loss.