Photo credit: Xiaofan Luo licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
by Daniel Fink, MD, Chair, The Quiet Coalition
We have reported previously on associations between hearing loss and dementia in the U.S., and studies finding brain changes associated with decreases in auditory input due to hearing loss. Hearing loss is also associated with depression.
This study from China, published in JAMA Network Open, confirms these associations in a different population. The China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study is following a nationally representative survey of adults age 45 and older, and their spouses. The current study looked at data from 18,038 participants with an average age of 59.9. Hearing impairment was associated with worse performance in episodic memory, mental intactness, and global cognition and a greater risk of depression.
Correlation is not causation, but this report from another country with a different language and culture confirms studies in the U.S. and Europe. It’s another piece of the puzzle in trying to understand why some people develop certain problems as they age. Research is ongoing to elucidate how hearing loss contributes to or causes cognitive decline, and whether providing hearing aids can prevent or slow cognitive decline.
In the meantime, we urge people to protect their hearing as assiduously as they protect their vision. We don’t stare at the sun. We wear sunglasses when outdoors. And we should view hearing loud noise just like staring at the sun. Loud noise is as dangerous for the ears as the sun is for the eyes.
Because if something sounds loud, it’s too loud, and auditory health is in danger.
