Related Experiment Videos
Hearing and diabetes
R de España1, O Biurrun, J Lorente
1Department of Otolaryngology, University of Barcelona, Spain.
ORL; Journal for Oto-Rhino-Laryngology and Its Related Specialties
|November 1, 1995
Summary
Hearing loss is uncommon in early type I diabetics but affects 30% of chronic type I diabetics. This hearing impairment in diabetic patients correlates with age and diabetes duration, not microangiopathy.
Area of Science:
- Audiology
- Endocrinology
- Otolaryngology
Background:
- Diabetes mellitus is a complex metabolic disorder.
- Audiological complications in diabetic patients are not fully understood.
- Type I diabetes presents with varying durations and potential systemic effects.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate audiological function in patients with type I diabetes.
- To compare hearing abilities between early and chronic diabetic groups.
- To identify correlations between hearing loss and diabetes characteristics.
Main Methods:
- Puretone audiometry, high-frequency audiometry, and auditory brainstem response were performed.
- Patients were categorized into early (Group A) and chronic (Group B) type I diabetes.
- A control group of 30 healthy subjects was included for comparison.
Main Results:
- All early diabetics (Group A) exhibited normal audiological assessments.
- Hearing loss was detected in 30% of chronic diabetics (Group B).
- Hearing loss in chronic diabetics significantly correlated with age (p=0.0019) and diabetes duration (p=0.0143), but not microangiopathy (p=0.1506).
Conclusions:
- Hearing loss is not a typical finding in type I diabetic patients.
- When present, hearing loss in diabetics may be linked to age-related inner ear changes exacerbated by diabetes.
- The precise pathogenic mechanisms linking diabetes and hearing loss require further investigation.