hearing aids may lower the risk of dementia, study says

findings highlight the urgent need for the early introduction of hearing aids when someone starts to experience hearing impairment.

by dave yasvinski

published apr 18, 2023

last updated jun 04, 2024

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60 per cent of canadians have a hearing health problem

many canadians between the ages of 40 and 79 aren’t even aware they have a hearing problem. getty

people who lose their ability to hear may be at greater risk of suffering from dementia than those who do not, according to a new study that says this risk can be largely mitigated by using a hearing aid. the observational study, which appears in the journal lancet public health, found that people who did not use hearing aids to help with their impairment faced a 1.7 per cent risk of dementia compared to the 1.2 per cent faced by those without hearing loss or those who used hearing aids to address the issue. with previous research linking hearing loss to roughly eight per cent of worldwide cases of dementia, tackling this impairment may be an effective way to decrease the global presence — and burden — of cognitive decline.

hearing loss is the most impactful modifiable risk factor for dementia

“evidence is building that hearing loss may be the most impactful modifiable risk factor for dementia in mid-life but the effectiveness of hearing aid use on reducing the risk of dementia in the real world has remained unclear,” said dongshan zhu, corresponding author of the study from shandong university in china. “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 team reached its conclusions after examining health data from 437,704 people included in the uk biobank database. data on hearing loss and the use of hearing aids came from self-reported questionnaires and dementia diagnoses were found in the form of hospital records and death register data. the average age of participants at recruitment was 56 and the average follow-up period was 12 years.

roughly three out of four people in the study (or 325,882 of 437,704) had no hearing loss and the remainder (111,822) had some amount of loss. of those who were suffering hearing loss, 11.7 per cent (13,092/111,822) used a hearing aid.

after accounting for other variables, the team found that, compared to those with no hearing impairment, participants with hearing loss faced a 42 per cent higher risk of all-cause dementia. no increased risk was detected in those who used hearing aids.

according to researchers, this means those not using hearing aids to account for their impairment had a 1.7 per cent risk of experiencing dementia, compared to 1.2 per cent for those with no loss, or those who use hearing aids to account for their loss.
“close to four-fifths of people experiencing hearing loss do not use hearing aids in the uk, dongshan zhu said. “hearing loss may begin early in one’s 40s and there is evidence that gradual cognitive decline before a dementia diagnosis can last 20 to 25 years. our findings highlight the urgent need for the early introduction of hearing aids when someone starts to experience hearing impairment.”

around 60 per cent of canadians between the ages of 19 and 79 have a hearing health problem, according to statistics canada, either audiometrically measured hearing loss (23 per cent), tinnitus (22 per cent) or both (14 per cent). many canadians between the ages of 40 and 79 aren’t even aware they have a problem.

the study had a few limitations, notably that it relied on self-reporting and that it was observational in nature, meaning the association between hearing loss and dementia might be the result of reverse causation via, for example, neurodegeneration. and although they accounted for as many variables as they could, there may be unmeasured factors at play (i.e., those who choose to wear hearing aids may also be more likely to take better care of themselves in general).

still, the team is calling for immediate action to decrease the risk of future cognitive impairment. “a group effort from across society is necessary, including raising awareness of hearing loss and the potential links with dementia, increasing accessibility to hearing aids by reducing cost and more support for primary care workers to screen for hearing impairment, raise awareness and deliver treatment, such as fitting hearing aids.”