Among older adults, hearing loss and dementia are both highly prevalent and are thought to be linked - according to a huge study by a team of international researchers.
Hearing loss equal to or above 20 dB affects 10% of people aged 40 to 69, 30% of those over 65, and 70% to 90% of people aged 85 or older. For context, whispering heard from 5 ft (1.5 m) away produces a sound of 20 dB.
The Lancet Commission report on dementia prevention found that hearing loss might be linked to around 8% of worldwide dementia cases. As such, addressing hearing issues in older people, such as through the use of hearing aids, might be a way of reducing dementia risk.
“The evidence is building that hearing loss might be the most impactful modifiable risk factor for dementia in midlife, but the effectiveness of hearing aid use on reducing the risk of dementia has remained unclear,” said Dongshan Zhu, corresponding author of the study. “Our study provides the best evidence to date to suggest that hearing aids could be a minimally invasive, cost-effective treatment to mitigate the potential impact of hearing loss on dementia.”
The researchers say their findings highlight the need for a society-wide push to raise awareness about hearing loss and its potential links to dementia, in addition to increasing accessibility to hearing aids.