Summary DNA damage was assessed in 50 subjects using the alkaline Single Cell Gel Electrophoresis assay and included 35 (18 males, 17 females) hypertensive individuals and 15 (7 males, 8 females) normotensives of the same age, sex and socio-economic status. Patients (32-62 years) had average systolic blood pressure Ͼ156 mmHg, diastolic pressure Ͼ98 mmHg, pulse and arterial pressure of Ͼ56 and Ͼ116 mmHg, respectively. Average BMI was 25.18 kg/m 2 , 54% were overweight, 16.45% obese and waist hip ratio (WHR) Ͼ0.95. Chi-square test revealed that controls matched patients except for blood pressure values. Multiple regression analysis and analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed that DNA damage significantly associated with systolic (pϽ0.05), diastolic blood pressure (pϽ0.05) and mean arterial pressure (pϽ0.05). Mann-Whitney U-test revealed that 80.54% cells with tails and mean DNA migration length of 50.01Ϯ1.01 mm were significantly higher (pϽ0.001) in patients compared to controls (27.21%; 20.33Ϯ0.74 mm). These differences between male and female patients/controls were, however, non-significant. The differences for drug-usage and WHR were non-significant while BMI and blood pressure values revealed significant DNA damage differences. The physiological state of hypertension probably has the potential to cause genetic damage as assessed in the present study by the SCGE assay since DNA migration length and percent cells with tails were highly significant (pϭ0.001) as compared to values in normo-tensive, healthy controls.

<p class="Normal1"><strong>Background: </strong>The association of sensorineural hearing loss in diabetes mellitus patients is known since decades, yet there is no clear consensus among previous studies, with respect to the prevalence of SNHL in type 2 diabetes patients and the effect of duration and control of diabetes on hearing acuity. Hence the objectives of this study are to find the prevalence of SNHL in type 2 diabetes patients and to find the effect of duration and control of diabetes on hearing loss.</p><p class="Normal1"><strong>Methods: </strong>The present study was conducted on 100 type 2 diabetes patients and age and gender matched 100 non- diabetic controls in the age group of &lt;50 years, selected based on inclusion and exclusion criteria. After detailed history taking and clinical examination, all subjects underwent FBS, PPBS estimation and HbA1c evaluation was done for diabetic patients. All underwent pure tone audiometry, DPOAE and BERA and the findings were recorded and analyzed.</p><p class="Normal1"><strong>Results: </strong>Diabetes patients had insidious onset, gradually progressive, bilaterally symmetrical SNHL. SNHL is prevalent in 73% of type 2 diabetes patients compared to 16% of controls. It is aggravated with the increasing age and duration of diabetes. Poor control of diabetes showed increased prevalence of SNHL compared to good control of diabetes.</p><p class="Normal1"><strong>Conclusions: </strong>There is increased prevalence of SNHL in type 2 diabetes patients and it is more evident in patients with long duration of diabetes and more pronounced in patients with poor diabetic control.</p>