Need another reason to get your suspected hearing loss treated? Findings from a recent Johns Hopkins study featured on the Today Show determined that using hearing aids can slow the rate of cognitive decline by nearly 50% in people at risk of cognitive issues.1
As Maria Shriver, Today Show correspondent, explained, “Everybody says that this study … it really has changed the game. People are calling up (their doctor’s office) and saying, ‘Maybe I need a hearing aid. I don’t mind not hearing, but I do not want to get dementia.’”
What the Research Shows
Scientists have known about the link between hearing loss and cognition for a while.
Research published in 2011 found that mild hearing loss doubles one’s risk of dementia, moderate hearing loss triples it and severe hearing loss quadruples it.2
Thankfully, hearing loss treatment can help. Researchers in the study highlighted on the Today Show gave hearing aids to 1,000 seniors with hearing loss and tracked their cognitive abilities over three years. For participants with higher risk factors for dementia, such as those with type 2 diabetes or high blood pressure, hearing aid use reduced cognitive decline by 48%.
As Dr. Frank Lin, lead researcher in the new study, noted, “Hearing aid invention … it basically allowed people to better hold on to their memory skills, better hold on to their abilities to use language, to name unfamiliar objects … as well as better overall rates of multitasking over time.”
Regular hearing testing can help identify any issues as soon as possible, allowing you to get treatment that can enhance your hearing and, as evidence shows, potentially boost your brain in the process.
Don’t put off taking care of your hearing any longer—schedule an appointment now for a hearing test with our Doctors of Audiology.
1 Today Show. (2023). How treatment for hearing loss can help reduce risk of dementia. NBC. https://www.nbc.com/today/video/how-treatment-for-hearing-loss-can-help-reduce-risk-of-dementia/NBCN918789961#:~:text=
2 Johns Hopkins. (n.d.). The hidden risks of hearing loss. https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/the-hidden-risks-of-hearing-loss