Abstract

Introduction: One of the symptoms of diabetes, is hearing loss, a condition on which controversial results are available. This study was performed to determine the prevalence of hearing loss and factors affecting the condition in patients with diabetes. Materials and Methods: In this cross sectional study 80 patients with diabetes and 80 healthy controls, matched for their age and sex were enrolled for the study, after obtaining consent. Age, sex, BMI (Body Mass Index), and diabetes duration were recorded for each patient, and audiometry was performed for both diabetic patients and healthy controls at 250 Hz, 500Hz, 1KHz, 2KHz, 4KHz and 8KHz, with a hearing threshold level of 20 dB considered as normal. The data obtained was analyzed using the Chi- square and T-test or nonparametric equivalents. Results: High frequency hearing loss in diabetes cases was more common, than in sex and age- matched controls (P value= 0.001). Duration of diabetes and Body Mass Index did not have a significant relationship with hearing loss. Conclusions: In the present study, high-frequency hearing loss is more common in diabetic patients than in healthy individuals; Similar studies are recommended with regard to confounding factors to identify factors affecting hearing loss, and prevent its complications, such as loss of social relations, in diabetics.