Scientists from Shandong University have found that hearing aids can reduce the risk of dementia associated with hearing loss. The research was published in the journal lancet.
Dementia and hearing loss are common conditions among older people. The Lancet Commission on Dementia Prevention, Intervention and Care, published in 2020, suggested that hearing loss may be associated with about 8% of dementia cases worldwide.
Researchers examined 437,704 people from the UK Biobank database. Information about the presence of hearing loss and hearing aid use was collected using self-administered questionnaires and a diagnosis of dementia was made by doctors. The mean age of the recruited study participants was 56 years and the mean follow-up was 12.
About 25% of the participants had some degree of hearing loss. 11.7% of them used hearing aids.
After controlling for other factors, the analysis showed that people with hearing loss who did not wear hearing aids had a 42% higher risk of dementia, compared with participants with normal hearing. However, no increased risk was found in people who used hearing aids due to hearing loss. This means that hearing aid use can reduce the risk of dementia, as can people without hearing loss.
Because this study was observational, the relationship between hearing loss and dementia may not be direct. Clinical studies will be needed to prove definitively.