A population-based study of the association between dysglycaemia and hearing loss in middle age

To investigate the independent associations between hearing loss and dysglycaemia in a sample of middle-aged adults, including separate analysis of those aged < 60 years.

The first 2023 participants in the cross-sectional Busselton Health Ageing Survey were assessed for hearing loss ≥ 26 dB (better ear) for four-frequency average (4FA) of pure-tone thresholds at 500, 1000, 2000 and 4000 Hz, and high-frequency average (HFA) of pure-tone thresholds at 4000 and 8000 Hz.

Valid data from 1864 participants in the Busselton Health Ageing Survey [92.1%; mean ± sd age 56.2 ± 5.5 years, 46.0% men, 120 (7.0%) with diabetes, 274 (14.7%) with prediabetes] were analysed, of whom 103 (5.5%) had four-frequency average hearing loss and 561 (30.1%) had high-frequency average hearing loss. In multivariable analyses, glycaemic status was not independently associated with four-frequency or high-frequency average hearing loss. In the 1286 participants aged < 60 years, there was no relationship between dysglycaemia and high-frequency average hearing loss, but the prevalence of four-frequency average hearing loss increased from 2.3% (95% CI 1.5-3.4) in participants with normoglycaemia to 5.7% (95% CI 3.0-10.6) in those with prediabetes and 10.2% (4.2-21.5) in those with diabetes (trend P = 0.003). In multivariable analysis with normoglycaemia as reference, the odds ratios for four-frequency average hearing loss were 2.84 (95% CI 1.29-6.27) for prediabetes and 5.93 (95% CI 1.67-21.05) for diabetes (P ≤ 0.01) in the < 60 year age group.

There was progressively increasing mid-range hearing loss with worsening glucose tolerance in younger individuals, suggesting dysglycaemia-associated early-onset presbycusis.