Getting hearing aids in your 60s reduces risk of dementia

People in their 60s who get a hearing aid can reduce their chances of developing dementia by 61 per cent.

‘This finding highlights the importance of early intervention for hearing loss for possible prevention of dementia’

People in their 60s who get a hearing aid can reduce their chances of developing dementia by 61 per cent compared with those who do nothing to address the early stages of hearing loss.

There is growing evidence that hearing loss has key role in a significant proportion of dementia cases; one study this year suggested one-third may be linked to auditory problems.

It is thought that as hearing declines naturally with age, it can increase the “cognitive load” on the brain, as people strain to make out what others are saying.

As hearing loss worsens, people can find themselves increasingly cut off from others, unable to take full part in conversations and enjoy group occasions. This can lead to increased isolation, with studies suggesting a lack of social interaction can heighten the risk of developing dementia.

This has led doctors to suggest that seeking treatment for the early signs of hearing loss could be an effective way to stave off or delay dementia.

Researchers from institutes including the University of Texas and University of Pittsburgh analysed several studies into people who reported hearing loss in their 60s. They looked to see whether the dementia rates differed between those who addressed the issue by getting hearing aids and those who did not.

They followed the subjects for 20 years to monitor dementia rates over a prolonged period.

Looking at 245 people who reported hearing loss while still in their 60s, the study found that “compared with participants with hearing loss without hearing aids, participants with hearing loss with hearing aids had a 61 per cent lower risk for incident all-cause dementia”.

The same trend was not true when looking only at people aged over 70. The research paper, published in JAMA Neurology, noted: “This finding highlights the importance of early intervention for hearing loss for possible prevention of dementia.”

The researchers said the data suggested that only 17 per cent of people with moderate to severe hearing loss used a hearing aid.

It was previously thought hearing loss was a factor in about 19 per cent of dementia cases, but research published in April suggested this may be much higher, at 32 per cent. It found that this was particularly true for women.

The new research concluded: “Other studies, including a randomised clinical trial and a comprehensive meta-analysis, have suggested hearing aids have a protective benefit against development of dementia. To our knowledge, this observational study was the first to identify that reduced risk depends on early intervention for hearing loss.”

The study from April suggested that addressing hearing loss could be one of the most effective lifestyle changes to protect against dementia.

It said: “Relative to other potentially modifiable risk factors earlier in life [such as] mid-life obesity, physical inactivity [and] low education, the preventive potential from addressing hearing loss in late life could be sizeable.”

The Times