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Association between HbA1c and hearing loss: a tertiary care center-based study
Hyun Jin Lee1, Sung Goo Yoo2, Sun Jung Lee2
1Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Incheon St. Mary's Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Scientific Reports
|October 27, 2023
Summary
Elevated glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels, indicative of diabetes, are significantly associated with increased risk of hearing loss (HL). Early screening for HL is recommended for individuals with high HbA1c levels.
Area of Science:
- Endocrinology
- Audiology
- Internal Medicine
Background:
- Elevated glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels are a hallmark of diabetes mellitus.
- Diabetes is a systemic disease with potential microvascular and macrovascular complications.
- Hearing loss (HL) is a common condition, and its association with metabolic factors is an area of ongoing research.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the correlation between glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels and the prevalence and severity of hearing loss (HL).
- To determine if elevated HbA1c levels, indicative of prediabetes or diabetes, are associated with an increased risk of sensorineural hearing loss.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective review of medical charts from 5287 patients at a tertiary hospital, including pure-tone audiometry (PTA) and HbA1c measurements.
- Sensorineural HL defined as a better ear PTA of 25 dB or higher. HbA1c levels categorized as normal (<5.6%), prediabetes (5.6-6.4%), and diabetes (≥6.5%).
- Multiple regression analysis and case-control study performed to assess the association between HbA1c levels, age, sex, and hearing thresholds across different frequencies.
Main Results:
- Hearing thresholds significantly deteriorated with increasing age and HbA1c levels across all tested frequencies (p<0.05).
- While prediabetes showed no significant odds ratio for HL compared to normal levels, the diabetes group exhibited a significantly higher odds ratio for HL across all frequencies after adjusting for age and sex.
- A cutoff HbA1c level of 6.3% was identified for predicting hearing impairment (>25 dB).
Conclusions:
- Diabetes, characterized by elevated HbA1c levels, is significantly associated with hearing loss, particularly affecting high frequencies.
- The findings support the hypothesis that higher HbA1c levels correlate with a greater risk and severity of hearing loss.
- Routine screening for hearing loss is strongly recommended for patients with elevated HbA1c levels to enable early detection and intervention.
