Studies show that treating hearing loss can prevent up to 8% of dementia.

CNN
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Treating hearing loss could mean reducing the risk of dementia, according to new research.

Hearing loss can increase the risk of However, because hearing aid use reduced the risk, similar to people without hearing loss, A study published Thursday in The Lancet.

Researchers followed a cohort of more than 437,000 people. UK Biobank, a large biomedical database and research resource that tracks residents over time. The study said it looked at each person’s risk of dementia, self-reported hearing aid use, and medical records to see if they had developed dementia.

“Evidence is building that hearing loss may be the most influential modifiable risk factor for middle-aged dementia,” said the study’s director, a professor at Shandong University in China. One Dongshan Zhu said in a statement. “Our study is the best yet, suggesting that hearing aids may be a minimally invasive and cost-effective treatment to mitigate the potential impact of hearing loss on dementia. We provide evidence of.”

The study accounted for other factors such as loneliness, social isolation, and depression, but found that untreated hearing loss was still strongly associated with dementia.

“This paper also explores some of the possible reasons for how hearing aids work and how hearing aids reduce the cognitive effort associated with hearing and/or reduce the effects of sensory deprivation. There is a tendency[to support]the idea that it is effective. I can’t hear you,” said Tom Denning, a professor of dementia research at the University of Nottingham in the UK, in a statement.Denning I wasn’t involved in the research.

The 2020 Lancet Commission on Dementia Prevention, Intervention and Care suggested that hearing loss may be associated with about 8% of dementias, but this study found that hearing aid use We found that the risk was reduced to a level similar to that of people without hearing loss. .

The results confirm the findings of the December survey. Meta-analysis published in JAMA Neurology Hearing-impaired people wearing hearing aids improved their cognitive scores by 3% in the short term.

Denning, who said he recently started wearing hearing aids, these discoveries Help him take better care of his patients.

“We need to use research like this to urge the public not to be embarrassed by hearing loss and to seek evaluation and treatment sooner or later,” he said.

For both hearing loss and dementia, the sooner action is taken, the better, says Reese Hamlin, director of public policy for the American Hearing Loss Association.

“Early adoption of hearing aids enables people to keep their jobs, improve communication with family and friends at home, and remain actively involved in their communities,” she said.

Many adults need hearing aids, but they are underused. She was the lead author of a new study on commercially available hearing aids.

“A recent study found that only 15% of US adults with hearing loss use hearing aids,” says De Sousa. “There are many possible reasons why people choose not to buy hearing aids, but one issue is the availability and affordability of hearing aids.”

But De Sousa’s research shows hope that accessibility will improve.

In this small preliminary study, Published in the journal JAMA on Thursday Otolaryngology — Head & Neck Surgery has found that self-fitting over-the-counter hearing aids may be just as good an option as hearing aids fitted by an audiologist.

The result is of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration August Decision to Allow Hearing for People with Mild to Moderate Hearing Loss buy hearing aids online Or over-the-counter without a prescription.

“The FDA’s establishment of an over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aid category opens up new options for people with hearing loss,” De Sousa added in an email.

According to Hamlin, the American Hearing Loss Association still supports multiple ways to address hearing loss.

While some people may be able to find hearing aids that fit them over-the-counter, others may need help from a medical professional.

“These devices are very new,” says Hamlin. “At least this he is very happy to hear that one tested device (in the study) offers such an advantage.”

Still, she encourages using her organization’s online resources to help determine if you need hearing aids, what to look for in hearing aids, and questions to ask your doctor. — BEFORE YOU BUY.

“One thing to remember is that OTC hearing aids are not a one-size-fits-all option,” added De Sousa. “If you do not meet the specific criteria for wearing OTC hearing aids, we recommend that you seek the help of a qualified hearing aid professional.”