Cognitive decline: Could hearing aids reduce the risk?

ISLAMABAD -- A new study investigates the relationship between hearing loss and cognitive decline. The scientists have found that after 18 months of hearing aid use, participants' performance on some cognitive tests improved. Can hearing aids improve cognitive function? Dementia becomes more likely as we age - so as the population's average age steadily rises, the prevalence of dementia climbs accordingly. To date, there is no cure for dementia, and researchers are avidly investigating ways to treat and prevent it. Hearing loss and cognitive decline According to the authors of the study, published in the Journal of Clinical Medicine, age-related hearing loss affects 30-60% of people aged over 65 and 70-90% of those aged 85 or older. The authors explain how, 'Hearing loss is associated with many comorbidities, including poorer physical health, anxiety, depression, loneliness, and isolation.'Yet, they note, hearing lossis undertreated, with only 1 in 20 working adults aged 50-70 wearing hearing aids. Importantly, medical researchers now consider hearing loss to be a risk factor for dementia. It follows that using a hearing aid might reduce the risk of dementia or slow its progress. However, to date, the evidence has been contradictory,

with some studies finding benefits and others finding none. A fresh approach The latest study involved 99 adult participants aged 62-82 with hearing loss who were new to hearing aids. The scientists assessed the participants before they had acquired the hearing aids and then 18 months later...

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