Dr Mehwish Nisar from the University of Queensland's Centre for Hearing Research (CHEAR) and CHEAR director Professor Piers Dawes. Images: Mehwish Nisar and Piers Dawes. Researchers are calling for routine hearing tests to become part of standard diabetes care after a major review found about one in four adults with diabetes is living with clinically significant hearing loss....
Audiologists should be aware of the growing evidence linking diabetes to hearing loss, but guideline-level adoption of routine audiological screening in diabetes care requires formal clinical guideline endorsement — monitor for updated diabetes management guidelines before changing referral protocols.
Positioning hearing screening as a standard component of diabetes management could dramatically expand the audiology referral pipeline and improve health outcomes for one of the world's largest chronic disease populations.
- 01Australian and Pakistani researchers, led by UQ's CHEAR, conducted a major review linking hearing loss to diabetes.
- 02People with diabetes are described as facing a 'hidden epidemic' of hearing loss.
- 03The team recommends routine hearing tests be integrated into standard diabetes care protocols.
- 04The call to action targets both endocrinology and audiology clinical communities.
- 05This is a blog-reported trade summary of the research — the underlying review methodology and journal source are not specified in the article.
Hearing loss is a 'hidden epidemic' among people with diabetes.
studypartially supportedRoutine hearing tests should be incorporated into standard diabetes care.
opinionpartially supportedA major review links hearing loss to diabetes.
studyunclear