Treating Hearing Loss Could Reduce Dementia Risk, Study Shows

Dubai, United Arab Emirates (CNN) – A new study shows that treating hearing loss may mean reducing the risk of dementia.

Hearing loss may increase the risk of dementia.

However, a study published in The Lancet Thursday showed that hearing aids help reduce the risk of this happening.

The researchers tracked the data of more than 437,000 people in the UK Biobank.

The study reported that they looked at each person’s risk of developing dementia, self-reported uses of hearing aids, and medical records to see if the person had dementia.

“Evidence suggests that hearing loss may be the most influential risk factor for dementia in middle age,” study author Dongshan Zhu, a professor at Shandong University in China, said in a statement.

“Our study indicates that hearing aids can be a cost-effective treatment to mitigate the potential impact of hearing loss on dementia.”

The research took into account other factors, including loneliness, social isolation and depression, but found that untreated hearing loss was still strongly associated with dementia.

The 2020 Lancet Commission on Dementia Prevention, Intervention and Care noted that hearing loss may be associated with around 8% of dementia cases.

This study found that the use of hearing aids reduces the risk of infection to levels similar to people without hearing loss.

Lack of use of hearing aids

“We need to use studies like these to encourage people not to feel embarrassed about hearing problems, and to seek evaluation and treatment sooner rather than later,” said Liz Hamlin, director of public policy at the American Hearing Loss Association.

And she continued: “Early use of hearing aids can help people keep their jobs, and communicate better at home with family and friends.”

Many adults need hearing aids, but they don’t use them enough, said Dr. Karina de Souza, a postdoctoral research fellow in the Department of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology at the University of Pretoria, South Africa.

“A recent study showed that only 15% of adults in the United States with hearing loss use hearing aids,” de Souza explained.

“There are many possible reasons why people choose not to get hearing aids, but one of the problems has been the accessibility and affordability of these devices,” she added.

However, de Souza’s study offers some hope that it can be obtained.

This small preliminary study, published Thursday in the journal JAMA – Head & Neck Surgery, Otolaryngology, found that over-the-counter hearing aids can be a good option for some people. But it is not an option for everyone.

“If you do not meet the criteria set for wearing an OTC hearing aid, I recommend seeking assistance from a qualified audiologist,” she explained.