Original Study

Diabetes-related changes in hearing†

  1. Donald F. Austin MD, MPH1,2,
  2. Dawn Konrad-Martin PhD1,3,*,
  3. Susan Griest MPH1,3,
  4. Garnett P. McMillan PhD1,
  5. Daniel McDermott MS1,
  6. Stephen Fausti PhD1,3

Article first published online: 10 JUL 2009

DOI: 10.1002/lary.20570

Issue

The Laryngoscope

The Laryngoscope

Volume 119, Issue 9, pages 1788–1796, September 2009

Additional Information

How to Cite

Austin, D. F., Konrad-Martin, D., Griest, S., McMillan, G. P., McDermott, D. and Fausti, S. (2009), Diabetes-related changes in hearing. The Laryngoscope, 119: 1788–1796. doi: 10.1002/lary.20570

Author Information

  1. 1

    VA Rehabilitation Research and Development Service, National Center for Rehabilitative Auditory Research, Portland VA Medical Center, Oregon, U.S.A

  2. 2

    Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Oregon Health and Science University School of Medicine, Portland, Oregon, U.S.A

  3. 3

    Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Oregon Health and Science University School of Medicine, Portland, Oregon, U.S.A

*VA RR&D, National Center for Rehabilitative Auditory Research, Portland VA Medical Center, 3710 SW US Veterans Hospital Road. Portland, OR 97239

  1. †

    Presented in part at the Triological Society Southern and Middle Combined Sections Meeting, Bonita Springs, Florida, U.S.A, January 8–11, 2009.

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 27 AUG 2009
  2. Article first published online: 10 JUL 2009
  3. Manuscript Accepted: 5 MAY 2009

Funded by

  • United States Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration, Office of Research and Development Rehabilitation Research
  • Development Service grants. Grant Numbers: C3446R, C4447K

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Keywords:

  • Audiologic monitoring;
  • hearing loss;
  • Veterans

Abstract

Objectives/Hypothesis:

Determine the effects on hearing of diabetes mellitus (DM) severity.

Study Design:

We conducted a cross-sectional study among Veterans to investigate the relationship of diabetes severity and hearing in randomly selected subjects with (165) and without (137) DM and who had no more than a moderate hearing loss.

Methods:

Subjects were classified by three age tertiles (<50, 50–56, and 57+ years). Diabetes severity was classified as insulin-dependent (IDDM), noninsulin-dependent (NIDDM), or no DM. Other DM measures included concurrent serum glucose, serum HbA1c, duration of disease, and several measures of DM-related complications. Pure-tone thresholds were measured in both ears of each subject at frequencies from 250 Hz through 14,000 Hz. Outcome measures were adjusted for age and frequency and analyzed for differences between subject groups using analysis of variance. Contrasts of the mean NIDDM and IDDM thresholds at each frequency to the DM group, and controlled for the effects of frequency, age, and interactions were modeled.

Results:

There was greater hearing loss in younger tertile DM subjects compared to those without DM. Significant hearing differences were at all frequencies for NIDDM subjects, but for IDDM subjects, differences were at 1,000 Hz and below, and 10,000 Hz and above. Over age 50 years, there were significant associations between hearing at low frequencies and IDDM only. Self-report of prior noise exposure did not explain observed differences.

Conclusions:

Diabetes is associated with an increased risk of hearing loss, and this difference is manifest particularly in adults <50 years old. Laryngoscope, 2009

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