Prevalence of hearing loss in diabetes

Investigators may have uncovered whether patients with Type 2 diabetes have an increased risk of hearing loss.

In a systematic review and meta-analysis published in Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, the investigators searched the PubMed and Scopus databases and identified 17 articles exploring the prevalence of hearing loss among patients with Type 2 diabetes and controls.

Compared with controls, the patients with Type 2 diabetes were more likely to experience hearing loss — particularly those who had been diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes over 10 years prior to the study — with higher mean pure-tone audiometric thresholds for both low and high frequencies.

The findings highlighted the critical need to identify treatment strategies to minimize the risk of hearing loss in this patient population.

Read more: Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery

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