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Hearing thresholds in insulin-dependent diabetic patients

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 June 2007

Jukka Virtaniemi*
Affiliation:
Departments of Otolaryngology, University of Kuopio, Kuopio, Finland
Markku Laakso
Affiliation:
Departments of Medicine, University of Kuopio, Kuopio, Finland
Juhani Nuutinen
Affiliation:
Departments of Otolaryngology, University of Kuopio, Kuopio, Finland
Seppo Karjalainen
Affiliation:
Departments of Otolaryngology, University of Kuopio, Kuopio, Finland
Eero Vartiainen
Affiliation:
Departments of Otolaryngology, University of Kuopio, Kuopio, Finland
*
Jukka Virtaniemi, M.D., Department of Otolaryngology, Kuopio University Hospital, SF-70210Kuopio, Finland.

Abstract

Hearing thresholds were studied in 53 patients with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) and 42 randomly selected non-diabetic control subjects, aged between 20 and 40 years. The hearing level tended to be worse in diabetic patients than in control subjects, but the differences were statistically significant only at frequencies of 6000 and 8000 Hz. Microvascular complications (retinopathy and nephropathy), and the duration of diabetes were associated with the elevated hearing thresholds. In contrast, poor metabolic control (high fasting blood glucose and glycated haemoglobin Alc) was not associated with increased hearing thresholds. The changes caused by diabetic neuropathy appeared simultaneously with microvascular complications and a long duration of the diabetes, and thus a causative role of diabetic neuropathy in the pathogenesis of elevated hearing thresholds remained unsolved. It was concluded that elevated sensorineural hearing thresholds at the frequencies of 6000 and 8000 Hz in patients with IDDM are probably caused by the long duration of diabetes and the microvascular complications associated with it.

Type
Main Articles
Copyright
Copyright © JLO (1984) Limited 1994

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