Hearing Impairment Linked to Type 2 Diabetes
Apr 22, 2016
Additional Studies Needed to Confirm Relationship of Diabetes to Hearing Loss
Brooklyn, NY – A review of studies of possible linkages between type 2 diabetes and hearing impairment concludes there is compelling evidence that diabetes can damage the auditory system, and that clinicians should include hearing testing in managing type 2 diabetes. The survey results were published in an article titled, “Type 2 Diabetes and Hearing Impairment” in the journal, Current Diabetes Reports.
Elizabeth Helzner, PhD, assistant professor in the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics in the School of Public Health at SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University, said, “An association between diabetes and hearing impairment in human subjects has been shown in many, but not all, studies. Direct comparison of these studies is complicated due to a lack of consistency in defining hearing impairment and other factors.”
“However, the association between diabetes and hearing impairment tends to be stronger in studies that included younger participants, perhaps because in older samples, other causes of age-related hearing impairment may mask the contribution of diabetes to the impairment. This factor in itself lends weight to the notion that type 2 diabetes can damage hearing.”
Dr. Helzner and her co-author note in the article that the epidemiologic study of
the relationship between diabetes and hearing impairment is relatively new. They add
that well-designed longitudinal studies are necessary in order to explore whether
patients with diabetes are at increased risk of early-onset hearing impairment, and
whether the progression of hearing impairment varies based on diabetes status, as
well as disease management factors, after taking other known contributors to hearing
sensitivity into account.
Hearing impairment is one of the most pervasive disabling conditions, affecting 16.1
% of adults in the United States. Two thirds of adults have clinically significant
hearing impairment by age 70. Hearing impairment has been associated with social isolation
and depression, cognitive decline and incident dementia, a higher propensity for falls
and hospitalizations, and increased mortality.
An abstract of the article is available here: http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs11892-015-0696-0 .
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About SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University
Downstate Health Sciences University in Brooklyn is one of four academic health centers (AMCs) in The State University of New York (SUNY) 64-campus system and the only SUNY AMC in New York City dedicated to health education, research, and patient care for the borough’s 2.7 million residents. Its flagship hospital, University Hospital at Downstate (UHD), is a teaching hospital and benefits from the expertise of Downstate’s exceptional medical school and world-class academic center research facilities. With a staff of over 800 physicians representing 53 specialties and subspecialties, Downstate offers comprehensive healthcare services to the community.
UHD provides high-risk neonatal and infant services, pediatric nephrology, and dialysis for kidney diseases and is the only kidney transplantation program in Brooklyn. Beyond its clinical expertise, Downstate houses a range of esteemed educational institutions, including its College of Medicine, College of Nursing, School of Health Professions, School of Graduate Studies, and School of Public Health. Downstate fosters innovation through its multifaceted biotechnology initiative, the Biotechnology Incubator and BioBAT, which support early-stage and more mature biotech companies.