50+ Lifestyles

Diabetes, Cardiovascular-Disease Patients Should Pursue Regular Hearing Checkups

By Dr. Molly Parker
Audiologist and Owner
Parker Audiology, P.C.

Dr. Alison Soto
Audiologist
Parker Audiology, P.C.

The prevalence of hearing loss increases with every decade of age and is closely tied to several ailments, including diabetes and cardiovascular disease. A 2008 study by the National Institutes of Health revealed that hearing loss is about twice as common in those with diabetes compared to those without, and a 2005 Harvard study found that hearing loss occurs about 54 percent more often in those with heart disease compared to the general population.

“Diabetics face potential difficulties with both their hearing and their heart due to the nature of the disease;” says Dr. Alison Soto, Audiologist at Parker Audiology, P.C. “Heart disease on its own causes a hardening of the arteries — and the smallest arteries can be affected first. The inner ear possesses some of the smallest arteries in the body.”
Researchers believe that diabetes can affect blood flow to the inner ear, or the cochlea, which starves the delicate hearing system of the necessary nutrients to keep it healthy and functional. Some pathological changes in and around the cochlea, including a narrowing of the primary artery that feeds blood to the inner ear, may explain part of the association. An estimated 10 percent of the Western population suffers from a hearing loss so debilitating that it affects ordinary life.

“In my personal experience, cardiovascular-disease patients and diabetics are correlated to have greater hearing loss compared to age-related hearing loss (presbyacousis),” says Dr. Soto. “They’re at an increased risk for hearing loss, which has also been tied to dementia and other cognitive diseases associated with aging. Both diabetes and heart disease can have a snowball effect on health, leading to hearing loss and a risk of decreased brain function. It’s important to get regular hearing checkups not only to track any changes in hearing, but because they can offer information about how these diseases are affecting other systems in the body.”  We recommend your initial hearing test to begin at age 50.

About Parker Audiology, P.C.— Parker Audiology is a full-service, local, independently owned audiology practice proud to be bringing better hearing to the Quad Cities. We are interested in finding the cause and the complete solution of our patients’ hearing needs. Call us at (563) 326-5441 to schedule your appointment with Dr. Alison Soto, Dr. Ali Hunt and Dr. Molly Parker.