A study on hearing loss in population with diabetes mellitus and its correlation with HBA1C values among patients attending a tertiary care hospital in Chennai

Background: Individuals with diabetes have twice the incidence of hearing loss compared to non-diabetics, and those with prediabetes show a 30% higher rate of hearing loss. HbA1c serves as an essential marker of glycaemic control in diabetics and is useful in predicting the development of complications associated with diabetes mellitus. This study was undertaken to estimate the prevalence of sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) in the diabetic population and to determine the association between HbA1c levels and the degree of hearing loss in these patients. Methods: This hospital-based analytical cross-sectional study was conducted at ACS Medical College and Hospital. A total of 85 diabetic patients aged between 20 and 55 years were included. Data were entered and analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 21.0. The chi-square test was applied to determine the correlation between study variables. A p-value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: The majority of participants exhibited poor glycaemic control. Profound and severe SNHL was observed in 28.2% and 16.5% of participants, respectively. Increasing age, longer duration of diabetes, and poor glycaemic control were significantly associated with SNHL. Conclusion: Poor glycaemic control is a significant risk factor for SNHL among diabetics. Routine audiometric screening and strict glycaemic control may help prevent or delay the onset of hearing loss in this population.