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May 4, 2016
Study: Health care more expensive for adults with hearing loss
May 6, 2016Can diabetes cause hearing loss?
People with type 2 diabetes may have a higher risk of hearing loss, according to a review of studies.
The relationship between diabetes and hearing impairment is relatively new, according to Elizabeth Helzner, PhD, assistant professor in the School of Public Health at SUNY Downstate Medical Center, who analyzed the research.
However, the strong link between younger people with both diabetes and hearing loss, show the conditions may be related.
“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,” according to Dr. Helzer.
While more studies are necessary in order to determine whether diabetes cause hearing loss, the results aim to encourage clinicians to include hearing testing while managing patients with type 2 diabetes.
The results were published in the journal, Current Diabetes Reports, titled, “Type 2 Diabetes and Hearing Impairment”.
