title: Hearing and diabetes.
abstract: The results of the audiological evaluation of 47 diabetics are presented. The patients were divided into two groups: A (17/47), type I early diabetics, and B (30/47), type I chronic diabetics. The evaluation included puretone audiometry, high-frequency audiometry and auditory brainstem response. There was a control group consisting of 30 healthy subjects. In group 1 the audiological assessment was normal in all cases. In group 2 hearing loss was found in 30% of cases (9/30). Hearing loss was significantly correlated with age (p = 0.0019) and duration of diabetes (p = 0.0143), but not with diabetic microangiopathy (p = 0.1506). The authors conclude that hearing loss is not a usual feature in diabetic patients. When present, hearing loss should be attributed to the effect of diabetes on the age-related physiological impairment of the inner ear. The pathogenic mechanisms remain obscure.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, University of Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: de España
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Biurrun
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lorente
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Traserra
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D001301:Audiometry, Pure-Tone; D002648:Child; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000150:complications*; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000150:complications*; D003925:Diabetic Angiopathies / Q000150:complications; D016057:Evoked Potentials, Auditory, Brain Stem; D005260:Female; D006311:Hearing Disorders / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013997:Time Factors