Risk of developing sudden sensorineural hearing loss in diabetic patients:  a population-based cohort study.
OBJECTIVE
To explore the risk of development of sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSHL) among diabetes mellitus patients.


METHODS
A retrospective cohort study.


METHODS
Population-based study of Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database.


METHODS
Approximately 26,556 newly diagnosed diabetic patients and 26,556 comparison subjects without diabetes mellitus were selected from claims made during 2000 to 2004.


METHODS
The incidence of sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSHL) at the end of 2009 was determined.


RESULTS
The incidence of SSHL was 1.54-fold higher in the diabetic group compared with the nondiabetic group (1.29 versus 0.78 per 1,000 person-years), and using Cox proportional hazard regressions, the adjusted hazard ratio (HR) was 1.592 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.295-1.957). The risk of developing SSHL increased substantially to an HR of 2.060 (95% CI, 1.051-4.037), for patients who required triple antidiabetic medication compared with diabetic patients treated with a single antidiabetic drug. An increased risk of developing SSHL, with adjusted HRs of 1.574 (95% CI, 1.091-2.271) and 2.842 (95% CI, 1.880-4.295), was observed in diabetic patients with newly diagnosed comorbidities of retinopathy or retinopathy combined with renal insufficiency, which are both expected to reflect the severity of diabetes.


CONCLUSIONS
Diabetes mellitus was significantly associated with an increased risk of developing SSHL. Coronary heart disease or retinopathy comorbidities in diabetic patients seemed to be associated with an increased risk of developing SSHL. The risk of developing SSHL increased with the severity of diabetes.
Department of Pharmaceutical Science, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.
Shih-Wei
SW
Lin
Yung-Song
YS
Lin
Shih-Feng
SF
Weng
Chien-Wen
CW
Chou
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D015897:Comorbidity; D048909:Diabetes Complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003925:Diabetic Angiopathies / Q000473:pathology; D003928:Diabetic Nephropathies / Q000453:epidemiology; D003930:Diabetic Retinopathy / Q000150:complications; D005260:Female; D006319:Hearing Loss, Sensorineural / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D003639:Hearing Loss, Sudden / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011153:Population; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012306:Risk; D013624:Taiwan / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult
D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents