Auditory and Vestibular Assessment of Patients with Type Two Diabetes Mellitus: A Case-Control Study

Type two diabetes mellitus may relate to auditory and vestibular dysfunction. This relationship was frequently observed in elders. The present study aimed to evaluate the auditory and vestibular function of diabetic patients and compare the results with those of a healthy adult control group.   Patients were asked to complete demographic characteristics form. Moreover, fasting blood sugar, as well as hemoglobin A1C tests, were carried out on them. Both the patients and control group were evaluated using several auditory and vestibular tests including Pure Tone Audiometry (PTA), video Head Impulse Test (v-HIT), ocular Vestibular Evoked Myogenic Potential (o-VEMP), and cervical Vestibular Evoked Myogenic Potential (c-VEMP).   The PTA showed a significant difference in some frequencies between the two groups. These differences were minimal in lower frequencies and become greater at 8000Hz. The v-HIT was abnormal for some patients and also showed a significant difference between the two groups. The o-VEMP and c-VEMP results were normal in most patients.   Based on the obtained results, auditory and vestibular dysfunctions are related to Diabetes. Patients with type two diabetes mellitus showed mild auditory and vestibular dysfunctions compared to the healthy control group.