Hearing Impairment and Type 1 Diabetes in the Diabetes Control and Complications Trial/Epidemiology of Diabetes Interventions and Complications (DCCT/EDIC) Cohort

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the prevalence of hearing impairment in participants with type 1 diabetes enrolled in the Diabetes Control and Complications Trial/Epidemiology of Diabetes Interventions and Complications (DCCT/EDIC) study and compare with that of a spousal control group without diabetes. Among participants with type 1 diabetes, to evaluate the association of hearing impairment with prior DCCT therapy and overall glycemia. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS DCCT/EDIC participants (n = 1,150) and 288 spouses without diabetes were recruited for the DCCT/EDIC Hearing Study. All subjects completed a self-administered questionnaire, medical history, and physical measurements. Audiometry was performed by study-certified personnel; audiograms were assessed centrally. Speech-frequency (pure-tone average [PTA] thresholds at 500, 1,000, 2,000, and 4,000 Hz) and high-frequency impairment (PTA thresholds at 3,000, 4,000, 6,000, and 8,000 Hz) were defined as PTA >25 dB hearing loss. Logistic regression models were adjusted for age and sex. RESULTS DCCT/EDIC participants and spousal control subjects were similar in age, race, education, smoking, and systolic blood pressure. There were no statistically significant differences between groups in the prevalence or adjusted odds of speech- or high-frequency impairment in either ear. Among participants with type 1 diabetes, for every 10% increase in the time-weighted mean HbA1c, there was a 32% (95% CI 1.15–1.50) and 19% (95% CI 1.07–1.33) increase in speech- and high-frequency hearing impairment, respectively. CONCLUSIONS We found no significant difference in the prevalence of hearing impairment between the group with type 1 diabetes and the spousal control group. Among those with type 1 diabetes, higher mean HbA1c over time was associated with hearing impairment.