Type 2 diabetes and hearing loss in black Africans

Is hearing impairment in diabetic patients correlated to other complications?

PURPOSE

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a heterogeneous group of metabolic disorders characterized by chronic hyperglycemia that results by relative or absolute insulin deficiency. Hearing disorders is common otological disorders in diabetic patients. This study aimed to investigate the frequency of hearing impairment among DM patients and its association with diabetes complications and blood sugar control.

METHODS

This analytical cross-sectional study was conducted from 2016 to 2017 on 81 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), aged 40-65 years who were referred to Yazd diabetic research center. Air conduction pure tone hearing thresholds were obtained for each ear at frequencies of 250, 500, 1000, 2000, 4000 and 8000 Hz. We defined hearing impairment as the pure-tone average ≥ 25 dB hearing level of pure-tone thresholds at low frequencies (500; 1000; and 2000 Hz) and high frequencies (4000 and 8000 Hz. The demographic data and diabetes complications frequency were gathered. All statistical analysis was done in SPSS 22.

RESULTS

The mean (±SD) age of participants was 56.38 ± 5.68 years (range 40-65 years), 32(39.5%) were males and 49(60.5%) were females. The prevalence of hearing loss in high frequency in right ear was higher in male (p value = 0.047). The grade of diabetic retinopathy and nephropathy were significantly associated with hearing impairment in high frequency in both ears (p value<0.05). Finally, the results showed that even after adjustment of confounding variables using logistic regression analysis there were no relationship between hearing impairment and variables in both ears.

CONCLUSION

The hearing impairment was associated with diabetes complications as retinopathy and nephropathy. The association was significant in high frequency.

Hearing thresholds in adult Nigerians with diabetes mellitus: a case-control study

OBJECTIVES

To determine the prevalence, types and severity of hearing loss and associated factors in a hospital population of adult Nigerians with diabetes mellitus.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS

This study was a prospective hospital-based study conducted at the Otorhinolaryngology and Diabetic Clinics of the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH) Ituku-Ozalla, Enugu, for a period of 12 months. Consecutively presenting eligible adult diabetics and their age- and sex-matched healthy controls were recruited. Each case and control participant had clinical and otologic examination, followed by pure tone audiometry. Data were analyzed using descriptive and comparative statistics.

RESULTS

There were 224 patients and 192 control participants. The patients comprised 112 males and 112 females (sex ratio=1:1), whose mean age was 47.6 years (range: 26-80 years). The prevalence of hearing loss was 46.9%. This comprised 43.8% sensorineural and 3.1% conductive hearing losses. The distribution of hearing loss by severity was mild 25.0%, moderate 15.6% and severe 6.3%. The controls comprised 96 males and 96 females whose mean age was 44.6 years (range: 25-79 years). The prevalence of hearing loss was significantly higher overall and by type (sensorineural hearing loss, conductive hearing loss) in cases compared with controls.

CONCLUSION

The prevalence of hearing loss among diabetic adults at UNTH, Enugu, is comparatively high. Hearing loss is predominantly sensorineural and often mild to moderate in severity. Routine audiometric evaluation of all adult diabetics at UNTH is recommended.

Otologic and audiologic characteristics of type 2 diabetics in a tertiary health institution in Nigeria

Introduction

This cross-sectional comparative study was carried out at the Diabetes outpatient clinic of LAUTECH Teaching Hospital (LTH) Ogbomoso, Nigeria.

Objective

This study assessed patterns of otologic diseases and auditory acuity among type 2 diabetics and determinants of these findings among diabetics.

Methods

Ninety-seven consenting patients with clinical diagnosis of diabetes mellitus (194 ears) were matched for age and sex with ninety non-diabetic patients (180 ears). These patients were screened using otoscopy and pure tone audiometry over a 6-month period.

Results

The study reported a crude prevalence rate of 21.6% hearing loss in T2DM patients. The most common type of otologic disease that showed significant association with T2DM patients was otitis media with effusion (p = 0.027). T2DM was significantly associated with abnormal audiometric findings (p = 0.022), particularly sensorineural hearing loss (p = 0.022), of the moderate grade (p = 0.057). There were no differences of the audilogical findings for any particular ear, and no differential affectation of frequency range was observed. Coexisting hypertension and poor glycaemic control were significantly associated with aggravation of the hearing of the T2DM patients (p <  0.001, and p = 0.009 respectively).

Conclusion

T2DM had appreciable effects on hearing acuity. T2DM was significantly associated with the type and the degree of the hearing loss. The need for screening of hearing acuity of T2DM patients, in order to detect early changes, and promptly offer an adequate management and remedial measures was emphasized in this study.

Hearing Impairment in Relation to Severity of Diabetes in a Veteran Cohort

OBJECTIVE

Type 2 diabetes is epidemic among veterans, approaching three times the prevalence of the general population. Diabetes leads to devastating complications of vascular and neurologic malfunction and appears to impair auditory function. Hearing loss prevention is a major health-related initiative in the Veterans Health Administration. Thus, this research sought to identify, and quantify with effect sizes, differences in hearing, speech recognition, and hearing-related quality of life (QOL) measures associated with diabetes and to determine whether well-controlled diabetes diminishes the differences.

DESIGN

The authors examined selected cross-sectional data from the baseline (initial) visit of a longitudinal study of Veterans with and without type 2 diabetes designed to assess the possible differences in age-related trajectories of peripheral and central auditory function between the two groups. In addition, the diabetes group was divided into subgroups on the basis of medical diagnosis of diabetes and current glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) as a metric of disease severity and control. Outcome measures were pure-tone thresholds, word recognition using sentences presented in noise or time-compressed, and an inventory assessing the self-perceived impact of hearing loss on QOL. Data were analyzed from 130 Veterans ages 24 to 73 (mean 48) years with well-controlled (controlled) diabetes, poorly controlled (uncontrolled) diabetes, prediabetes, and no diabetes. Regression was used to identify any group differences in age, noise exposure history, and other sociodemographic factors, and multiple regression was used to model each outcome variable, adjusting for potential confounders. Results were evaluated in relation to diabetes duration, use of insulin (yes, no), and presence of selected diabetes complications (neuropathy and retinopathy).

RESULTS

Compared with nondiabetics, Veterans with uncontrolled diabetes had significant differences in hearing at speech frequencies, including poorer hearing by 3 to 3.5 dB for thresholds at 250 Hz and in a clinical pure-tone average, respectively. Compared with nondiabetic controls, individuals with uncontrolled diabetes also significantly more frequently reported that their hearing adversely impacted QOL on one of the three subscales (ability to adapt). Despite this, although they also had slightly poorer mean scores on both word recognition tasks performed, these differences did not reach statistical significance and all subjects performed well on these tasks. Compared with Veterans with controlled diabetes, those with uncontrolled disease tended to have had diabetes longer, be insulin-dependent, and have a greater prevalence of diabetic retinopathy. Results are generally comparable with the literature with regard to the magnitude of threshold differences and the prevalence of hearing impairment but extend prior work by providing threshold difference and hearing loss prevalence effect sizes by category of diabetes control and by including additional functional measures.

CONCLUSIONS

In a cohort of Veterans with type 2 diabetes and relatively good hearing, significant effects of disease severity were found for hearing thresholds at a subset of frequencies and for one of the three QOL subscales. Significant differences were concentrated among those with poorly controlled diabetes based on current HbA1c. Results provide evidence that the observed hearing dysfunction in type 2 diabetes might be prevented or delayed through tight metabolic control. Findings need to be corroborated using longitudinal assessments.

Lifelong occupational exposures and hearing loss among elderly Latino Americans aged 65-75 years

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study is to determine the relationship between occupational exposures and hearing among elderly Latino Americans.

DESIGN

A descriptive, correlational design used for this secondary analysis with the data from the Sacramento Area Latino Study of Aging (SALSA).

STUDY SAMPLE

A total of 547 older adults were included.

RESULTS

A majority of participants (58%) reported occupational exposures to loud noise and/or ototoxic chemicals. About 65% and over 90% showed hearing loss at low and high frequencies, respectively. Participants with occupational exposure to loud noise and/or ototoxic chemicals were, significantly, two times more likely to have hearing loss at high frequencies compared to those without exposure (OR = 2.29; 95% CI: 1.17 = 4.51, p = .016), after controlling for other risk factors of hearing loss such as age, gender, household income, current smoking, and diabetes. However, lifelong occupational exposure was not significantly associated with hearing loss at low frequencies (OR = 1.43; 95% CI: 0.94 = 2.18, p = .094).

CONCLUSION

Lifelong occupational exposure to loud noise and/or ototoxic chemicals was significantly associated with hearing loss among elderly Latino Americans. Healthy work life through protection from harmful auditory effects of occupational exposures to noise and chemicals will have a positive impact on better hearing in later life.

Three decade change in the prevalence of hearing impairment and its association with diabetes in the United States

OBJECTIVE

To examine the secular change of the prevalence of hearing impairment over three decades in U.S. adults with and without diabetes.

METHODS

The cross-sectional National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES, the 1971-1973 [NHANES I] and the 1999-2004 [NHANES 1999-2004]) were used. Average pure-tone audiometry thresholds in decibels (dB) at 1, 2, 3, and 4 kHz frequencies of the worse ear were used to represent the participants' hearing status. Any hearing impairment was defined as average pure-tone audiometry threshold of the worse ear >25 dB.

RESULTS

From 1971 to 2004, among adults without diabetes aged 25 to 69 years, the unadjusted prevalence of hearing impairment decreased from 27.9% to 19.1% (P<0.001), but among adults with diabetes there was no significant change (46.4% to 48.5%). After adjustment for age, sex, race, and education, the prevalence of hearing impairment in the NHANES I and NHANES 1999-2004, respectively, was 24.4% (95% confidence interval [CI], 22.3-26.6%) and 22.3% (95% CI, 20.4-24.2) for adults without diabetes and 28.5% (95% CI, 20.4-36.6%) and 34.4 (95% CI, 29.1-39.7%) for adults with diabetes. The adjusted prevalence ratios of hearing impairment for persons with diabetes vs. those without diabetes was 1.17 (95% CI, 0.87-1.57) for the NHANES I and 1.53 (95% CI, 1.28-1.83) for NHANES 1999-2004.

CONCLUSIONS

Persons with diabetes have a higher prevalence of hearing impairment, and they have not achieved the same reductions in hearing impairment over time as have persons without diabetes.