by Daniel Fink, MD, Chair, The Quiet Coalition
Can hearing aids delay the development of dementia in older people? This question has been discussed since research showed an association between hearing loss and dementia, with greater hearing loss being associated with a greater chance of dementia. This study indicates that the answer may be “yes.”
The study is based on insurance claims data, not clinical data, so clinical studies are needed to confirm the results. But in analyzing data on 79 million adults insured by a private health insurance company, hearing aid use among adults diagnosed with hearing loss was associated with a decreased risk of Alzheimer’s disease or dementia.
Hearing loss leads to lack of brain stimulation, social isolation, and depression, all of which have been linked to development of dementia. So the results of the study make sense. It’s possible that treating hearing loss with hearing aids may help delay or prevent dementia.
Of course, preventing hearing loss in the first place is far better and far cheaper than providing hearing aids to those with hearing loss, and certainly cheaper than treating dementia. And preventing most hearing loss is easy: avoid loud noise exposure or wear hearing protection if one can’t.
Because if something sounds too loud, it is too loud.
