Hearing loss in diabetics

In order to evaluate the hearing loss in non-insulin dependent [type II diabetics] and to identify the site of the lesions, pure tone audiometry and brainstem auditory evoked potentials were performed in 44 patients. The results were compared with those of 18 age-matched controls. The incidence of hearing impairment in diabetics was higher than that in the controls. The diabetic hearing impairment was bilateral, sensorineural hearing loss which affected predominantly the higher frequencies. Hearing impairment was related with age, diabetic complications and duration of the diabetes. Diabetic patients also showed significant prolongation of interpeak latency between I and V compared to the healthy controls