Abstract:

Objective〓〖WTBZ〗To study the characteristics of hearing loss in aged type 2 diabetics and to explore its correlation factors. 〖WTHZ〗Methods〓〖WTBZ〗118 aged type 2 diabetics and 50 controls were enrolled in this study. Pure-tone audiometry, distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAE) and auditory brainstem responses (ABR) were determined. 〖WTHZ〗Results〓〖WTBZ〗① Logistic regressive analysis showed that independent risk factors associated with hearing loss of the aged type 2 diabetics were age,course of the T2DM, LDL-C , diabetic nephropathy and diabetic retinopathy; ② The pure-tone audiometry test showed that there was a great deficit at high frequencies in the two groups, and a stronger tendency of affecting the right ear than the left; ③ The DPOAE test showed that the amplitude of DPOAE in diabetics was decreased compared with the control group, and a stronger tendency of affecting the right ear than the left ear(P＜0.05); ④ The ABR test showed that latencies of wavesⅢ,Ⅴand interwaveⅠ-Ⅲ of 40dB above the auditory threshold were longer in diabetics(P＜0.05), and there was no statistical significance between the left ear and the right. 〖WTHZ〗Conclusions〓〖WTBZ〗Hearing impairment in aged type 2 diabetics is significant at high frequencies, especially in the right ear. Age, course of the T2DM and LDL-C and diabetic micrangium complications are the risk factors.

Key words: Diabetes mellitus, non-insulin-dependent, Risk factors, Hearing loss, Audiometry