Greater hearing loss with age among women with diabetes

by Bruce Sylvester – Diabetes adds to hearing loss with age among women, if it is not well controlled with medication, researchers reported on Jan. 26, 2012 in Miami Beach at the annual Triological Society’s Combined Sections Meeting.

“A certain degree of hearing loss is a normal part of the aging process for all of us, but it is often accelerated in patients with diabetes, especially if blood-glucose levels are not being controlled with medication and diet,” says Derek J. Handzo, D.O., Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit. “Our study really points to importance of patients controlling their diabetes, especially as they age, based on the impact it may have on hearing loss.”

The researchers reviewed records for 990 patients that had undergone audiograms between 2000 and 2008 at Henry Ford Hospital. The subjects were categorized by gender, age (younger than 60 years old, between 60-75 years old and older than 75 years old), and diabetes status. Those with diabetes were divided into two groups, well-controlled or poorly controlled, determined by the American Diabetes Association guidelines for HbA1C blood levels.

The investigators also evaluated each subject’s pure tone average, which determines hearing level at certain frequencies and speech recognition at different ages. They evaluated pure tone average ranges for frequency of normal speech and the very high frequencies used in music and alarms.

They reported that women between age 60 and 75 with poorly controlled diabetes showed significantly worse hearing than those whose diabetes was well-controlled, and compared to non-diabetics.

Among women under-60, those with diabetes, regardless of whether or not it was being controlled, had worse hearing than non-diabetic women.

For men with diabetes, they found no significant difference in hearing between those with diabetes that was well-controlled or poorly controlled, or compared to those who did not have diabetes.

“Younger males in general have worse hearing, enough so to possibly mask any impact diabetes may have on hearing. But our findings really call for future research to determine the possible role gender plays in hearing loss,” says Dr. Handzo.