WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. A leader in hearing care is offering patients free hearing-loss screenings, along with a free 80-minute "Living With Diabetes" video, produced by the American Diabetes Association, during the month of March.

HearUSA, one of America's largest hearing care and hearing aids companies, encourages people with diabetes to visit one of their centers in New York state for a free screening next month, noting a National Institutes of Health landmark study indicated that diabetics are twice as likely to experience hearing loss.

"Based on the findings of the NIH study, 5 million Americans living with diabetes also have hearing loss that, in many cases, remains undetected and untreated," said Cindy Beyer, audiologist and SVP of HearUSA.

Beyer added that some studies have linked untreated hearing loss to fatigue, stress and depression, avoidance of social situations, reduced job performance and earning power, and diminished health.

To locate the New York HearUSA Hearing Care Center nearest you, and to schedule an appointment to receive a free hearing loss screening and the free diabetes video, go to www.hearusa.com or call 1-800-698-6767.