THURSDAY, May 28, 2026 (HealthDay News) -- Sex, hematocrit, and uric acid are independently associated with hearing severity in Meniere disease (MD), according to a study published online May 17 in Acta Oto-Laryngologica.Yoshihiro Nitta, from Kitasato University School of Medicine in Sagamihara, Japan, and colleagues investigated clinical and hematological factors associated with hearing severity in MD. The retrospective analysis included 112 patients with unilateral MD.The researchers found that hearing thresholds in the affected ear were significantly higher at all frequencies in the 21 patients identified with severe MD. Higher thresholds were observed at 4 and 8 kHz in the contralateral ear. There were associations between increased severity and older age, longer disease duration, higher hemoglobin, hematocrit, and creatinine levels, as well as lower estimated glomerular filtration rate values. Sex, hematocrit, and uric acid were independent factors in a multivariate analysis."Hearing severity in MD was associated with male sex, longer disease duration, and findings suggestive of hemoconcentration and renal function impairment, indicating the role of systemic conditions," the authors write.Abstract/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required).Sign up for our weekly HealthDay newsletter