Hearing aids and dementia
A study from John Hopkins University* has shown that people with untreated mild hearing loss have twice the risk of developing dementia compared with people with normal hearing. With moderate hearing loss, the risk increased to threefold, and with profound hearing loss, the risk even increased to fivefold. There s also scientific evidence to suggest a link between hearing loss and increased risk of cognitive problems. Often, people who have poor hearing withdraw from their social lives, which results in fewer stimuli and can reduce brain performance. The drop in performance, in turn, can lead to dementia**.
A regular hearing screening is recommended to detect and treat hearing loss early and potentially reduce dementia risk. If hearing loss has been identified, it can be improved by wearing a hearing aid, which potentially reduces the risk for cognitive impairment and dementia. However, there is still much to learn about the link between hearing loss and dementia. Further studies are needed to better understand the link and to adequately support the hypothesis of an impact of hearing impairment on dementia risk with research evidence.
*Lin, F. R., Metter, E. J., O'Brien, R. J., Resnick, S. M., Zonderman, A. B., & Ferrucci, L. (2011). Hearing loss and incident dementia. Archives of Neurology, 68(2), 214-220. https://doi.org/10.1001/archneurol.2010.362
**Lin, F. R., Yaffe, K., Xia, J., Xue, Q.-L., Harris, T. B., Purchase-Helzner, E., Satterfield, S., Ayonayon, H. N., Ferrucci, L., Simonsick, E. M., & Health ABC Study Group. (2013). Hearing loss and cognitive decline in older adults. JAMA Internal Medicine, 173(4), 293-299. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamainternmed.2013.1868