A recent study published in the International Journal of Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology analyzed the link between hearing impairment and type 1 diabetes mellitus. The study aimed to determine the hearing abilities of children with type 1 diabetes mellitus.
Individuals (n=1143) with T1DM were included in the study. For 20 years, databases such as ScienceDirect, PubMed, and Scopus were searched from January 2004 to December 2024 following the guidelines of Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses. The data were extracted, reviewed, and screened by two reviewers.
Elevated pure tone thresholds, particularly at mid to high frequencies, delayed auditory brainstem response latencies, and reduced otoacoustic emission amplitudes were found. However, no difference in auditory function was found among participants in the T1DM and control groups. Increased auditory deficits were linked to microvascular alterations by diabetes, poor glycemic management, and prolonged disease duration (>5 years).