Listen up: Hearing loss heightens dementia risk

Listen up: Hearing loss heightens dementia risk


Now hear this: Scientists have found a link between hearing loss and the onset of dementia.

It’s a curious pairing of medical issues, but scientists in Denmark recently made the connection after studying data from more than a half-million people in that country. In this case, the findings involved people over age 50 whose health was tracked for 15 years.

The researchers found a clear correlation between hearing loss and the development of dementia. That includes hearing loss causing an overall 7% increase in the risk of getting dementia. Among those with severe hearing loss, the dementia risk was found to be much greater than it was for those with typical hearing.

The research did not delve into the reasons for the association between hearing loss and dementia. But the good news is that there’s a simple strategy: Wearing hearing aids can substantially reduce dementia risk.

Among people who didn’t wear hearing aids, the risk of getting dementia was 20% higher than people with typical hearing. Those who used hearing aids had a 6% increased risk of dementia.

The association between hearing loss and dementia risk is also an imperative due to sheer numbers: The National Institutes of Health notes that nearly one-quarter of people in the U.S. between the ages of 65 and 74 have some amount of hearing loss. Among those over age 75, the rate of hearing loss is 50%.

Meanwhile, use of hearing aids remains low: Fewer than one in three people over age 70 who could benefit from hearing aids have ever used them.

So, don’t take chances with your brain. Get your hearing tested as you age and keep in mind that hearing aids could help ward off dementia.

 

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