PURPOSE: To investigate the presence of hearing impairment, represented by a decreased audiometric threshold and/ or absence of otoacoustic emissions, associated with general characteristics, chronic complications and comorbidities in patients with type 2 diabetes. METHODS: The study was carried out a secondary care unit in Fortaleza, from April to July 2010, using a sample of 152 patients aged 36 to 60 with type 2 diabetes. The clinical data related to diabetes was analyzed and an audiological evaluation consisting of pure tone audiometry, otoacoustic emissions elicited by transient stimuli and distortion. RESULTS: The female gender predominated, with 95 (62.5%) patients. The mean age was 53.4 years. Sensorineural hearing loss was found in 96 (63.2%) patients, mainly cochlear loss (83.3%). 114 patients (75%) had an absence of transient emissions, and 120 (78.9%), had an absence of distortion product emissions. Diabetic men had a 4.4 times greater chance of hearing loss than women. The longer the disease time the greater the chance of hearing loss. Diabetic patients over 50 years old were also more likely to have hearing loss. CONCLUSION: Of the comorbidities and complications associated with diabetes, overweight/obesity was a risk factor for auditory alterations and is associated with hearing loss and the absence of transient emissions. Overweight/obese diabetic patients were 3 times more likely to have impaired audiometry and otoacoustic emissions.
Diabetes Mellitus type 2; Comorbidity; Diabetes complications; Hearing; Audiometry