Risk Factors for Olfactory Dysfunction in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.

INTRODUCTION

Patients with type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (DM) often experience olfactory dysfunction; however, the relationship between disease duration and comorbidities remains unclear.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

An analytical observational study was conducted at the Endocrinology and Metabolic Polyclinicof the H. Adam Malik General Hospital, Medan. The study included 66 patients with type 2 DM who met the inclusion criteria. Data were collected from medical records, questionnaires, routine ENT examinations, and the Sniffin' Sticks Test (<0.05).

RESULTS

No significant relationship was observed between sex and olfactory function in patients with type 2 DM. However, a significant correlation was observed between age and the olfactory function score ( = 0.012) as well as between the duration of type 2 DM and the olfactory function score (= 0.005). There was no significant difference in olfactory function scores between patients with type 2 DM with and without comorbidities.

CONCLUSIONS

This study revealed that increasing age and the duration of type 2 DM correlated with declining olfactory function. However, no differences were observed in olfactory function between patients with type 2 DM with and without comorbidities. These findings provide additional insights into the factors that influence olfactory function in patients with type 2 DM.