Dementia risk slashed with one common health intervention, study finds

Addressing hearing loss early on may significantly reduce the risk of dementia, a recent study found. 

Adults with hearing loss who reported wearing hearing aids before they were 70 years old cut their risk of dementia by more than half, compared to those with hearing loss who did not wear hearing devices, according to research recently published in JAMA Neurology.

Participants with hearing loss  who wore hearing aids had a 61% lower risk for “incident all-cause dementia,” the researchers wrote.

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Individuals under 70 years old who did not have hearing loss had a 29% lower risk for dementia in comparison to those with untreated hearing loss, according to the study authors.

However, the same benefit was not seen in those 70 years or older at the time of the hearing tests.

Details of the study

Researchers from the University of Texas, University of Pittsburgh, Boston University and several others looked at data from 2,953 participants in the Framingham Heart study, a long-term project that tracked the health of participants and their children.

For two decades, they followed participants aged 60 or older who did not have a diagnosis of dementia when they underwent hearing tests.

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The researchers found that 20% of the participants ultimately developed dementia, and of this group 42% were under the age of 70 when they completed the hearing assessment.

“This finding highlights the importance of early intervention for [hearing loss] for possible prevention of dementia,” the researchers stated.

The researchers noted that only 17% of individuals with moderate to severe hearing loss use hearing devices.

Dr. Gayatri Devi, M.D., a neurologist at Northwell’s Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City, told Fox News Digital that “40% of dementia cases are preventable with modifiable risk factors, such as correcting hearing loss, which promotes socializing, another separate variable associated with dementia prevention.”

The doctor, who was not affiliated with the study, noted that treating hearing loss is “an excellent and simple way” not only to prevent dementia, but also to enable people to engage more fully in conversations and improve their quality of life.

Age-related hearing loss is a known risk factor for developing dementia, according to Devi and other health experts.

“This finding highlights the importance of early intervention for possible prevention of dementia.”

“Maintaining good brain health as we age requires stimulation,” Carolyn Bossinas, director of speech and audiology at Northwell Health Phelps Hospital in Sleepy Hollow, New York, told Fox News Digital. 

When someone is not able to hear properly, the brain does not receive adequate information, according to Bossinas, who was also not part of the research.

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Compared to those with typical hearing, individuals with hearing loss are 1.9 times more likely to develop dementia and 2.78 times more likely to have a co-occurring cognitive impairment, the expert said.

These co-occurring impairments may include memory loss, reduced problem-solving, reduced awareness of mistakes and slower rate of processing.

Symptoms and intervention

There are signs that a person may be experiencing hearing loss and should see a healthcare professional.

“Generally, when we have trouble hearing in restaurants or in places with loud ambient noise, [it is a] good time to have our hearing checked,” Devi said.

Another sign is when someone frequently asks individuals to repeat themselves during conversations.

Early intervention is important, according to Bossinas. People typically adjust more quickly to wearing hearing aids when they have mild hearing loss, she noted, as the change is not as dramatic but can still be very helpful.

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Several adjustments may be required, so she recommends working with an audiologist.

When wearing hearing devices, it’s important to keep them dry, change the batteries (or the device) regularly, clean the device according to the audiologist’s instructions, and perform regular listening checks, the expert added.