Functional Decline in Older Adults with Diabetes

Auditory and Vestibular Assessment of Patients with Type Two Diabetes Mellitus: A Case-Control Study

Introduction

Type two diabetes mellitus may relate to auditory and vestibular dysfunction. This relationship was frequently observed in elders. The present study aimed to evaluate the auditory and vestibular function of diabetic patients and compare the results with those of a healthy adult control group.

Materials and Methods

Patients were asked to complete demographic characteristics form. Moreover, fasting blood sugar, as well as hemoglobin A1C tests, were carried out on them. Both the patients and control group were evaluated using several auditory and vestibular tests including Pure Tone Audiometry (PTA), video Head Impulse Test (v-HIT), ocular Vestibular Evoked Myogenic Potential (o-VEMP), and cervical Vestibular Evoked Myogenic Potential (c-VEMP).

Results

The PTA showed a significant difference in some frequencies between the two groups. These differences were minimal in lower frequencies and become greater at 8000Hz. The v-HIT was abnormal for some patients and also showed a significant difference between the two groups. The o-VEMP and c-VEMP results were normal in most patients.

Conclusion

Based on the obtained results, auditory and vestibular dysfunctions are related to Diabetes. Patients with type two diabetes mellitus showed mild auditory and vestibular dysfunctions compared to the healthy control group.

Diabetes and aging: epidemiologic overview

Diabetes mellitus has long been recognized as a cause of accelerated aging. As the understanding of the metabolic syndrome has evolved, it has been recognized that the interaction of a panoply of factors in the presence of insulin resistance results in accelerated aging. This article explores the increasing prevalence of diabetes mellitus with aging and how insulin resistance leads to accelerated frailty, disability, hospitalization, institutionalization, and death.