The Importance of Getting Your Hearing Aids Checked for Longevity and Wellness, According to CNN

Among your New Year’s health resolutions, you may need to include getting your hearing aids checked, according to CNN .

Wearing hearing aids, if you need them, could help protect you against premature death, according to a new study published Wednesday in The Lancet Healthy Longevity journal.

“What we found was that there was a 24 percent lower risk of mortality for people who use hearing aids,” said Dr. Janet Choi, assistant professor of clinical otolaryngology – head and neck surgery at the Keck School of Medicine. of the University of Southern California and otolaryngologist at Keck Medicine of USC.

The study analyzed the data of 10,000 people – of whom more than 1,800 were identified as having hearing loss – and tracked their mortality between 1999 and 2012.

About 237 of those with hearing loss said they used hearing aids at least once a week, while 1,483 said they never used hearing aids, according to the survey.

There was no difference in the risk of death during the research period between people who used hearing aids occasionally and those who never wore them, but regular users had a significantly lower risk, the study showed.

And this mortality risk was lower for hearing aid users, regardless of factors such as age, ethnicity, income, education, medical history and degree of hearing loss, according to the study.

About 30 million people ages 12 and older in the United States have hearing loss in both ears, according to the National Institute on Deafness and Communication Disorders.

But only about 15% of those who could benefit from hearing aids use them, according to the author of a study from April.

“The (new) study underscores the critical role of addressing modifiable risk factors not only for immediate health benefits, but also as a powerful strategy for increasing longevity and overall well-being,” Dr. Thomas Holland, a physician researcher, said via email. at the Rush Institute for Healthy Aging. Holland was not involved in the research.

Fortunately, over-the-counter self-fitting hearing aids are now available, and the April study shows that they may be just as effective as those fitted by an audiologist.

Why are hearing aids so useful?

The latest study adds more support to the understanding that hearing loss and longevity are linked, but there are still questions about why this happens, Choi said.

“This is an association study. We did not particularly analyze the mechanism behind these associations”, she said.

But there are several hypotheses regarding the reason why there is an association between hearing aids and longevity.

Previous studies have shown a link between hearing loss and frailty, and there is evidence that untreated hearing loss could affect social isolation, dementia and decline in physical activity and cognitive function, Choi said.

“There are also some studies that show that hearing deprivation itself – not getting enough sound – can have a negative impact on brain structures,” she added.

checking

The growing body of research shows that if you notice a difference in your hearing, you should get checked, Choi said.

Hearing loss should not be “considered as something related to (a) normal part of aging and nothing should be done about it,” she added. “More studies will come out that will show that hearing aids are useful and have a positive impact. And we all know that, in the end, it really helps patients’ communication and quality of life.”

If you have a hearing loss, at least try hearing aids, especially with the significant improvements in technology, Choi said.

“A lot of people don’t use hearing aids because they don’t want to look older,” she added. “They don’t want to be associated with disability, but it doesn’t have to be that way.”

It’s important to be proactive when it comes to addressing health risks, especially when they’re as easily modifiable as wearing hearing aids, Holland said.

Work closely with your doctors and stay up to date with check-ups, while monitoring your sleep, exercise, nutrition, alcohol consumption, blood pressure and blood sugar for a longer, healthier life, he added.

“By fostering a partnership with your health care provider and adopting a lifestyle that prioritizes these factors, you are giving yourself the opportunity to build a solid foundation for long-term wellness and vitality,” said Holland.

2024-01-04 15:29:29
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