Dementia is a serious health concern among older adults. Approximately 22% of Americans ages 85 to 89 have dementia, and that number increases to 33% for people older than 90. As baby boomers reach their senior years, that number is expected to grow substantially.
Health researchers are looking for ways to prevent or slow the development of dementia among older adults. One potential solution has been around for decades: hearing aids.
For years, researchers have been investigating the link between hearing loss and dementia. We’ve known for a while that older adults with hearing loss are more likely to experience dementia. Researchers believe that the inability to hear—especially in social situations—leads people to withdraw and self-isolate. When older adults are isolated, their brain function can decline—for example, in participating in conversation, processing new ideas, and even perceiving a range of sounds. When brain cells are no longer stimulated, they eventually stop working.
A 2020 study published in the journal The Lancet found that hearing loss among older adults doubles the chance they will develop dementia—a similar risk to experiencing a traumatic brain injury. The same study found hearing loss has other long-term effects on health. Older adults with untreated hearing loss are more likely to experience depression and more likely to fall. Over the course of 10 years, older adults with hearing loss are 47% more likely to be hospitalized compared to those with normal hearing.
A new systematic review published in December in the journal JAMA Neurology looks at older adults with hearing loss to find out whether hearing aids reduce the risk of developing dementia.
The researchers identified 31 studies—25 observational studies and six randomized controlled studies—related to hearing interventions and cognitive decline. In addition, the researchers were able to combine the data from eight studies that followed more than 125,000 older adults for up to 25 years. Their analysis found older adults with hearing loss were 19% less likely to experience cognitive decline when they used hearing aids compared to those who did not have any hearing interventions.
A second analysis in the same paper combined the results from 11 studies with more than 550 participants. These studies administered cognitive tests to older adults with hearing loss before and after they started using hearing aids. Researchers found participants’ cognitive scores improved 3% on average after they started using hearing aids.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has recognized the importance of hearing aids for older adults. Last fall, it enacted a new rule that made hearing aids available over the counter, without a prescription or custom-fitting.
The take-home message: The evidence clearly shows that using hearing aids for hearing loss will reduce your risk for cognitive decline and dementia.
