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Diabetes and hearing impairment in Mexican American adults: a population-based study

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 June 2007

Fangchao Ma ,
Orlando GóMez-Marín ,
David J. Lee  and
Thomas Balkany
Fangchao Ma
Affiliation:
Departments of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of MiamiSchool of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA.
Orlando GóMez-Marín
Affiliation:
Departments of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of MiamiSchool of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA. Department of Pediatrics, University of MiamiSchool of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA.
David J. Lee*
Affiliation:
Departments of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of MiamiSchool of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA. Otolaryngology, University of MiamiSchool of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA.
Thomas Balkany
Affiliation:
Otolaryngology, University of MiamiSchool of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA.
*
Address for correspondence: David Lee, Ph.D., Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Miami School of Medicine, P.O. Box 016069 (R-669), Miami, FL 33101, USA. Fax: 305-243-3384 E-mail: [email protected]
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Abstract

Reports on the relationship between diabetes and hearing loss have been controversial. The present study examined this relationship in 1,740 Mexican American adults using data from the Hispanic Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Hearing threshold levels were obtained for each participant at the following frequencies: 500,1000, 2000, and 4000 Hertz (Hz). The thresholds from the worse hearing ear were used in the analyses. Diabetes and insulin use were assessed by self-report. The mean crude hearing thresholds in diabetics were significantly higher than in non-diabetics at each of the four frequencies. However, after adjustment for age, gender, and socioeconomic status, diabetics had a significantly higher mean threshold than non-diabetics only at 500 Hz (mean difference ± SE: 2.8 ± 1.2, p = 0.04). Diabetics who were not using insulin had significantly higher thresholds than those who were using insulin at 2000 (mean difference ± SE: 5.6 ± 2.6, p = 0.03) and 4000 Hz (7.7 ± 3.3, p = 0.02). Also, at 4000 Hz, insulin users had a significantly lower mean threshold than non-diabetics (mean difference ± SE: –4.9 ± 1.6, p = 0.02). Our data suggest that associations between diabetes and decreased hearing acuity in the higher frequencies are present only amongst diabetic Mexican-Americans who do not use insulin.

Keywords

Hearing losssensorineuralDiabetes mellitusMexicoHispanic Americans
Type
Main Articles
Information
The Journal of Laryngology & Otology , Volume 112 , Issue 9 , September 1998 , pp. 835 - 839
Copyright
Copyright © JLO (1984) Limited 1998

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