As evidence continues to emerge linking systemic health conditions with disorders of the auditory system, audiologists are increasingly well positioned to recognize the broader health implications of auditory dysfunction. This 6-hour clinical workshop explores the relationship between metabolic syndrome and related chronic diseases associated with cochlear and retrocochlear disorders. Participants will examine current evidence connecting auditory dysfunction with comorbidity conditions such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and chronic kidney disease. The session will combine didactic instruction with case-based panel discussions to highlight practical clinical applications. Attendees will learn strategies for effective case history intake, patient counseling, care management, referral coordination, and the integration of whole-person health considerations into audiologic practice.
Attendees will be able to:
- Describe the current evidence linking metabolic and systemic health conditions, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, chronic kidney disease.
- Identify potential vestibular manifestations of metabolic and cardiovascular dysfunction, including diabetic peripheral vestibulopathy, orthostatic hypotension, and cardiovascular-mediated dizziness, and differentiate these from primary otologic causes of balance complaints.
- Describe the role of the audiologist as a member of an interdisciplinary care team in identifying, managing, documenting, and reporting/referring, based on these findings.
- Describe the current evidence linking metabolic and systemic health conditions,and cognitive decline, including dementia to auditory and vestibular dysfunction, and explain the physiological mechanisms underlying these connections.
- Evaluate the evidence supporting hearing intervention (amplification, aural rehabilitation) as a modifiable factor in cognitive decline risk, and incorporate this evidence into patient counseling on treatment urgency and adherence.
- Identify red flags and risk factors that may signal undiagnosed or poorly managed metabolic conditions in patients presenting with hearing complaints.
- Analyze case-based scenarios to evaluate diagnostic decision-making and care coordination when auditory/vestibular findings co-occur with undiagnosed or unstable systemic disease.
- Select and apply validated screening tools and outcome measures to systematically flag patients for metabolic or cardiovascular comorbidity risk within a standard audiologic evaluation.
- Construct documentation and communication protocols, including referral letters and shared records language, that support defensible, interprofessional care coordination with physicians and other health care providers.
- Assess practice-level barriers (time, reimbursement, staff training, care-team relationships) to integrating whole-person health screening into audiologic workflows, and identify practical strategies to overcome them.
- Develop patient counseling, management, and referral strategies that integrate audiologic care with broader health considerations, using case-based scenarios to practice interprofessional collaboration and appropriate referral facilitation.
- Identify best practices used by audiologists for patient screening and intake.
