A comprehensive study revealed that people with type 2 diabetes are at risk of hearing loss, a complication that is often not diagnosed or screened for.
Researchers from the Department of Otolaryngology, Clinic Hospital and the University of Barcelona in Spain conducted the study, the results of which were published in the Journal of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery last September, and the “Eurek Alert” website wrote about it.
The study analyzed data from 17 studies that included nearly 4,000 individuals with diabetes, and the same number of healthy people in the control group.
The results paint a worrying picture, as the prevalence of hearing loss among patients with type 2 diabetes ranges from 40.6% to 71.9%. Compared with the control group, the risk of hearing loss was 4.19 times higher in diabetic patients.
The prevalence of hearing loss was significantly higher among those who had been diagnosed with diabetes for more than 10 years, as they faced a 2.07 times higher risk compared to those who had been diagnosed with the disease for less time.
Changes in blood circulation
Patients with moderate and severe to severe hearing loss had higher HbA1c levels than controls, suggesting that poorer glucose control is associated with more severe hearing loss.
According to the research, the gender of diabetic patients had no effect on the prevalence of hearing loss.
The study authors suggest that hearing loss in patients with type 2 diabetes may result from microcirculatory changes affecting the cochlea, leading to changes in the fine structure of the inner ear hairs, including thickening of the basilar membrane and atrophy of the striae vascularis.
Since diabetes affects millions – and the numbers continue to rise – this research underscores the importance of comprehensive diabetes care, which includes hearing evaluation.