Study confirms relationship between diabetes and hearing loss
A study from Singapore has found that diabetes (diabetes mellitus) is an independent risk factor for the presence of at least moderate hearing loss in community-dwelling seniors. The presence of diabetes was especially associated with a greater increase in hearing threshold in the higher frequencies (high-frequency hearing loss).
Diabetes was independently associated with the presence of at least moderate sensorineural hearing loss in people 70 years or younger but not among those older than 70 years.
In the study, a total of 1,787 persons were screened. 41% of the participants were aged 50–69, while 53% were aged 70 and above. 17.6% of the participants had diabetes. 28% of participants had normal hearing, while 42.3% had mild hearing loss and 29.7% had a moderate or greater hearing loss.
Earlier studies
Previously, other studies have also found a relationship between diabetes and hearing loss.
An American study found that hearing loss is about twice as prevalent among diabetics as in the general population.
Moderate hearing loss is more common in patients with type 2 diabetes, according to a study.
Yet another study found that untreated diabetes intensifies the risk of hearing loss.
The study, "Diabetes is a risk factor for hearing loss in older adults: Results of a community screening programme", was published in the journal Clinical Otolaryngology.
Red more about the relationship between diabetes and hearing loss.
Sources: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov and the journal Clinical Otolaryngology.