Add one more reason to the list of medical concerns about type 2 diabetes. New research published in Current Diabetes Reports suggests this blood sugar disorder can damage the auditory system and advises clinicians across the country to start including hearing tests as part of their routine type 2 diabetes care, according to Science Daily.

 

Type 2 diabetes occurs when the body doesn’t make enough insulin, a hormone that helps regulate blood sugar levels. The metabolic condition is linked to a number of health issues, including eye complications, skin issues, nerve problems, circulatory damage and heart disease.

 

For the study, scientists at SUNY Downstate Medical Center in New York reviewed several recent studies conducted on links between hearing impairment and type 2 diabetes. Researchers said they found “compelling evidence” that diabetes was associated with a higher rate of impaired hearing in patient populations.

 

One report, recently published by the American Diabetes Association, found that “hearing loss is twice as common in people with diabetes as it is in those who don’t have the disease.” But scientists noted that far more research needs to be done on the topic.

 

Today, hearing impairment affects nearly 16 percent of adults in the United States and almost two thirds of American adults by the time they reach age 70.

 

For more information about the links between hearing loss and diabetes, click here.