Investigating the association between triglyceride glucose–body mass index and hearing loss: Results from the NHANES 2001–2012 and 2015–2018

This study aims to explore the association of the triglyceride glucose-body mass index (TyG-BMI) with hearing loss (HL) in a nationally representative cohort. A total of 6558 participants from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) cycles (2001-2012 and 2015-2018) were included. Multivariate logistic regression, generalized additive models, threshold-effect analyses, and subgroup analyses were utilized to evaluate the relationship between TyG-BMI and HL risk. The highest TyG-BMI quartile (Q4) exhibited 35% increased odds of overall HL (odds ratio [OR] = 1.35, 95% confidence interval: 1.10-1.65) and 34% higher risk of high-frequency hearing loss (HFHL; OR = 1.34, 95% confidence interval: 1.09-1.65) compared with the lowest quartile (Q1; P for trend < .05). No significant association was observed for low-frequency HL. A nonlinear dose-response relationship for HFHL revealed a critical threshold at TyG-BMI = 184.5 (P < .001). Subgroup analyses identified elevated HL risk in males (OR = 1.40), individuals aged