Wearing a hearing aid can slow the progress of dementia by up to 75 per cent, according to a new study.Scientists believe that keeping older people engaged and active by adopting the devices can significantly reduce age-related cognitive decline.They followed the progress of 2,040 individuals between 1996 and 2014, asking them to complete word memory tests at various stages and monitoring the rate of decline before and after getting a hearing aid.The research team found that while the aids did not halt or reverse cognitive decline, they slowed it down by three-quarters, meanwhile in a separate group of 2,068 who underwent cataract surgery, decline slowed by around half.
Another new observational study has found that individuals aged 70 or younger with hearing loss who used hearing aids had a 61% lower risk of developing dementia compared to those with hearing loss who did not use hearing aids.”Only 17% of individuals with moderate-to-severe hearing loss use hearing aids. Our study highlights the importance of early intervention for hearing loss in reducing the risk of incident dementia,” the researchers noted. The study was led by Dr. Lily Francis, MD, MSc (from the University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio) and colleagues.The National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders estimates that 37.5 million Americans experience some degree of hearing difficulty, and approximately 28.8 million could benefit from using hearing aids.
The link between hearing loss and dementia is not new. Previous studies have shown that treating hearing loss—especially with hearing aids—can slow cognitive decline in middle-aged and older adults and reduce the risk of dementia. Among individuals already living with dementia, those who use hearing aids tend to exhibit fewer neuropsychiatric symptoms compared to non-users.
However, the researchers pointed out that this is the first study to suggest that early intervention may play a role in reducing dementia risk.
Post time: 十二-02-2025
