Assessment of hearing loss severity in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus

Abstract

Objective. The purpose of this study was to determine diabetes mellitus tip 2 influence on the incidence and severity of sensorineural hearing loss. Methods. The prospective case control study was done during 2013 among 132 patients, whose age range was 21-84 years, who were admitted to ENT department of the Health Center Kragujevac for evaluation of hearing loss. We performed detailed history, complete otorhinolaryngological examination including otoscopy, tympanometry and tonal liminal audiometry. All subjects were divided into two groups. The study group consisted of 67 patients with diabetes mellitus type 2 and the control group included age and gender matched subjects. We used tonal liminar audiometry for evaluation of the existence and the degree of hearing loss. The mean value obtained by tonal liminar audiometry at frequencies of 500, 1000, 2000 and 4000 Hz, greater than 25 dB was considered as a hearing loss. Data was statistically analyzed by using descriptive statistical methods, t-test and x2-test using standard statistical software package (SPSS for Windows, version 19.0). Results. There was sensorineural hearing loss in all patients with diabetes mellitus type 2. The frequency and degree of sensorineural hearing loss were statistically significantly higher in the group with diabetes mellitus patient compared to the control group (p < 0.05). Conclusion. The results indicate that diabetes mellitus type 2 patients often have significant hearing loss, which is very easy to establish by using tonal liminar audiometry, suggesting that these patients should be referred to the assessment of the impairment.