Does gestational diabetes result in cochlear damage?
BACKGROUND
Glucose metabolism has a significant impact on inner-ear physiology. Therefore, hearing may be affected in gestational diabetes.


METHODS
A matched case-control study was performed to evaluate 27 patients with gestational diabetes and 31 non-diabetic pregnant women with similar demographic characteristics. A medical history was taken for each participant, and otological inspections and high-frequency audiometry tests were performed.


RESULTS
There were no significant differences in average pure tone air-bone hearing thresholds between the groups (p > 0.05). However, evaluation of high-frequency hearing thresholds indicated significantly increased auditory thresholds at 10 kHz and 12 kHz for right ears and at 8, 10, 12 and 14 kHz for left ears in the gestational diabetes group (p < 0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
An investigation into cochlear damage in gestational diabetic patients showed significant high-frequency hearing loss. Further studies are needed to validate these findings in different ethnic groups and geographical populations.
ENT Clinic,Derince Education and Research Hospital,Kocaeli,Turkey.
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Selcuk
Gynecology and Obstetric Clinic,Derince Education and Research Hospital,Kocaeli,Turkey.
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Terzi
Gynecology and Obstetric Clinic,Derince Education and Research Hospital,Kocaeli,Turkey.
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Turkay
Gynecology and Obstetric Clinic,Derince Education and Research Hospital,Kocaeli,Turkey.
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Kale
ENT Clinic,Derince Education and Research Hospital,Kocaeli,Turkey.
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Genc
D000328:Adult; D001309:Auditory Threshold; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016640:Diabetes, Gestational / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006316:Hearing Loss, High-Frequency / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006319:Hearing Loss, Sensorineural / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D055815:Young Adult