Gutenberg Open Science

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ZeitschriftenaufsatzAccess status: Open Access ,
Association of hearing loss with cardiovascular and mortality risk in the general population
(2025) Hahad, Omar; Döge, Julia; Bahr-Hamm, Katharina; Ghaemi Kerahrodi, Jasmin; Geschke, Katharina; Kontohow-Beckers, Konstantin; Schuster, Alexander K.; Gianicolo, Emilio; Lackner, Karl J.; Weinmann-Menke, Julia; Lurz, Philipp; Konstantinides, Stavros; Wild, Philipp S.; Hackenberg, Berit
Hearing loss affects over 1.5 billion individuals worldwide and is associated with significant challenges, including social isolation and cognitive decline. Emerging evidence suggests a link between hearing loss and cardiovascular diseases. Comprehensive epidemiological studies exploring these associations remain limited. Using data from the Gutenberg Health Study, a population-based cohort of 15,010 participants aged 35–74 years at baseline, we investigated the relationship between hearing loss, cardiovascular diseases and risk factors, and all-cause mortality. Participants underwent extensive audiometric assessments and clinical evaluations. Logistic regression and Cox proportional hazards models were applied to determine associations between hearing loss, cardiovascular health, and mortality, adjusting for potential confounders. Among the 8886 participants with complete hearing data, 35.1% exhibited some degree of hearing loss. Crude models revealed significant associations between hearing loss and various cardiovascular diseases and risk factors. However, these associations lost significance after adjustments for confounders, except for diabetes (adjusted odds ratio 1.24, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.01–1.51). Hearing loss coincided with higher mortality in unadjusted analyses (hazard ratio 5.64, 95% CI 4.24–7.49), but this relationship disappeared after full adjustment. Hearing loss may serve as an early marker of systemic vascular dysfunction, particularly in diabetes, rather than an independent predictor of cardiovascular disease or mortality. It needs to be determined whether incorporating auditory health into broader cardiovascular assessments could improve early detection and prevention strategies.
ZeitschriftenaufsatzAccess status: Open Access ,
Ventromedial hypothalamus (VMHvl) nNOS neurons regulate social behaviors in a sex-specific manner
(2025) de Moura Oliveira, Vinícius Elias; Bodea, Ioana; Bakker, Julie
Neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) neurons are ubiquitously spread in the mouse brain. Data using knockouts and pharmacology have revealed that nNOS is essential for the display of sexual and aggressive behavior. Yet, the specific neuronal populations regulating those behaviors remain elusive. Here, we aim to study the role of the ventromedial hypothalamus (VMHvl)-nNOS neurons in social behaviors in both sexes. First, we evaluate whether the expression of nNOS overlaps with the well characterized estrogen receptor alpha (ERα + )-VMHvl population. Next, we assess how different social stimuli affected VMHvl-nNOS neurons’ activity. Lastly, we use transgenic mice and viral approaches to ablate VMHvl-nNOS neurons and evaluate their impact on behavior. Our findings suggest that nNOS neurons constitute a small cluster within the VMHvl-ERα+ population that regulates social behaviors in a sex-specific manner. In males, those neurons seem to be essential for aggression, whereas in females for sexual behavior and social motivation.
ZeitschriftenaufsatzAccess status: Open Access ,
General self-efficacy in East and West Germany : a comparison of two German representative cohorts in 2014 and 2022
(2025) Reinwarth, Anna C.; Petersen, Julia; Beutel, Manfred E.; Weidner, Kerstin; Clemens, Vera; Brähler, Elmar
Objectives: Empirical evidence increasingly highlights the importance of general self-efficacy (GEF) in preventing disease and promoting quality of life. While it is already known that GEF varies with socio-demographic factors, health variables and personality traits, little is known about the influence of socio-political context. The objective of the study was to examine and compare GEF between 2014 and 2022 in East and West Germany and to test differences regarding sex. Study design In 2014 (N = 2506) and 2022 (N = 2508), two large representative cohorts from the German general population were surveyed about their GEF using the General Self-Efficacy Short Scale (ASKU). Methods: A three-way ANCOVA were calculated to test the effect of region of residence, survey date, and sex controlling for age on GEF in a combined sample (N = 5014). Results: There was a significant decrease in GEF between 2014 and 2022. Women reported lower GEF than men. A statistically significant interaction was found between survey date and sex and between survey date, region of residence and sex on GEF. Almost the same patterns were observed for the ability to solve difficult and complex tasks well, with the exception, that men in East Germany reported an increase in the ability to solve difficult and complex tasks well from 2014 to 2022. The ability to solve most problems independently and to solve challenging and complex tasks well was mainly influenced by education and household income, rather than by the date of the survey, the region of residence or sex. Conclusion: Although regional differences in GEF were minimal, more pronounced variations emerged across sex and socioeconomic groups. These patterns likely stem from historical socio-political legacies and structural inequalities, potentially amplified by the impact of COVID-19 restrictions.