Abstract
Introduction Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disease associated with a rise in the level of blood
glucose. Individuals with diabetes mellitus are more likely to develop hearing loss,
tinnitus, and dizziness due to macro- and microvascular complications. The extent
to which auditory and vestibular functions are impaired in individuals with type-2
diabetes mellitus is still under debate.
Objective To systematically review studies focusing on auditory and vestibular functions in
individuals with type-2 diabetes mellitus.
Data Synthesis A search was conducted in the PubMed, MedlinePlus, Ingenta Connect and Google Scholar
databases for articles published until June 2019. A total of 15,980 articles were
primarily retrieved, 33 of which were shortlisted based on the inclusion criteria
set by the investigators for the systematic review. Out of 33 full-length articles,
26 evaluated the functioning of the auditory system, while 7 evaluated the functioning
of the vestibular system. Most studies related to auditory functioning reported a
significant effect of type-2 diabetes mellitus on the peripheral auditory system,
whereas studies on vestibular functioning reported no significant effect of diabetes
mellitus on the functioning of the peripheral vestibular end-organ.
Conclusion Overall, the results of various audiological and peripheral vestibular tests reveal
distinctive peripheral and/or central auditory and vestibular end-organ impairments
in individuals with type-2 diabetes mellitus.
Keywords
hearing loss - diabetes mellitus - cochlea - inner ear - vertigo
