Hearing loss among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Hearing loss is an underestimated comorbid condition in type 2 diabetes. OBJECTIVES: Investigate hearing loss as a comorbidity associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus and evaluate the factors associated with hearing loss. DESIGN: Cross-sectional. SETTING: Tertiary care center, diabetes clinic. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients with type 2 diabetes, aged 30 to 60 years, were randomly selected to participate. All patients underwent clinical ear examinations and were referred for full audiological evaluation. Otoacoustic emission was used to assess inner function, tympanometry to assess middle-ear function, and pure tone air/bone audiometry to assess hearing sensitivity. Risk factors for hearing loss were assessed by multivariate logistic regression. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Frequency, severity and risk factors for hearing loss. SAMPLE SIZE: 157 RESULTS: Of the 157 patients, 77 had hearing loss in both ears (49.0%), 13 in the right ear only (8.3%), 14 in the left ear only (8.9%), and 53 (33.8%) had normal hearing. In the 181 ears with sensorineural hearing loss, 90 had mild loss (49.7%), 69 moderate loss (38.2%), 16 severe loss (8.8%) and 6 had profound loss (3.3%). Disabling hearing loss was observed in 46 (29%) patients. A higher frequency of hearing loss was present in patients with glycated hemoglobin levels ≥8%. In the multivariate logistic regression analysis, the most important factors associated with hearing loss were longer diabetes duration, poor glycemic control and the presence of hypertension. CONCLUSIONS: Hearing loss is an underestimated comorbid condition in type 2 diabetes that warrants frequent hearing assessments and management. Strict glycemic and hypertension control is essential for the minimization of the effects of diabetes on hearing sensitivity. LIMITATIONS: Small sample size, limited age window (30-60 years), which was chosen to eliminate the natural aging effect on hearing. Cross-sectional nature was not ideal for the assessment of causality. CONFLICT OF INTEREST: None.

Prevalence and Associated Factors of Sensorineural Hearing Impairment Among Patients with T2DM in Amhara Region, Northwest Ethiopia, 2022: A Multi-Centered Cross-Sectional Study

“…In the current study, the overall magnitude of SNHI among the participants was 50.49% (95% CI; 45.69%, 55.26%). It was consistent with studies conducted in Australia 50%, 22 Pakistan 46.1%, 23 Switzerland 46.9%, 11 Taiwan 47%, 24 Saudi Arabia 49%, 25 South Africa 55%, 26 and Egypt 51.3%. 27 The consistency in study design and participant characteristics may account for the observed trend.…”

Sensorineural hearing loss among type 2 diabetic patients and its association with peripheral neuropathy: a cross-sectional study from a lower middle-income country

“…We found that 74.7% of diabetic patients were experiencing some level of HL. This figure closely mirrors but is greater than 66.2%, as documented by Al-Rubeaan et al 19. Moreover, it is also greater than the values identified by Bamanie and Al-Noury in Saudi Arabia, Mozaffari et al in Iran, Uchida et al in Japan and Cheng et al in the USA which reported percentages of 52.3%, 30.0%, 39.1% and 46.0%, respectively 20–23.…”

“…Similarly, the duration of diabetes does not describe the progression of diabetes. Despite their involvement in diabetic complications like neuropathy,17 19 47 these factors might impact SNHL differently across various populations, necessitating further investigation. A 2018 meta-analysis revealed an escalating HL trend with prolonged diabetes duration,47 while another study48 noted a J-shaped link between HbA1c and high-frequency hearing impairment among baseline participants with diabetes.…”

Morbidity profile among older people at primary health care centers in Saudi Arabia during the period 2012-2020

“…37 In the present study, the prevalence of hearing impairment among the studied group was 12.6% and deafness was 1.4%. This is lower than that observed in a Saudi study by Al Rubeaan et al 38 among patients with type 2 DM where 49% of patients had hearing loss in both ears, 8.3% in the right ear only, 8.9% in the left ear only, and 29% had disabling hearing loss.…”