Hearing aids could help prevent dementia and help people live longer, new study finds

A new study has found that hearing aids could help prevent dementia and regular hearing aid users are likely to live longer.

There are several lifestyle changes that could help delay or prevent dementia, and a new study has just proved that getting hearing aids could be a game-changer and quite literally stop dementia in its tracks. A study from Lancet has proved that people who use hearing aids can delay the effects of dementia which in turn leads them to live longer than those who don't use hearing aids.

The article explained that hearing loss 'impedes interpersonal communication in both social settings and the workplace' meaning that it can be a substantial burden on the sufferer. Studies have found that hearing loss is a 'major risk factor' and can have several adverse health effects including 'reduced quality of life, depression, dementia, and mortality'. 

The study analysed data from a 13-year study run by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the US. The study looked at 1,800 people who had hearing loss and found that there was a correlation between those who used hearing aids and those who didn't and suffered from dementia.

"We found that adults with hearing loss who regularly used hearing aids had a 24% lower risk of mortality than those who never wore them,” study lead researcher Dr Janet Choi said. "These results are exciting because they suggest that hearing aids may play a protective role in people’s health and prevent early death."

Those who completely shunned hearing aids were 25% more likely to die than those who used them, regardless of how prevalent their hearing loss was. The study also indicated that only continued use of hearing aids had a role in extending the wearer's life, and occasional use did not decrease the risk of death.

According to RNID (Royal National Institute for Deaf People) one in five people suffer from hearing loss in the UK, which includes tinnitus and complete deafness. They claim that there are 7 million people in the UK that could benefit from using hearing aids, but only 2 million people who do use them currently in the UK. This means there are millions of people who don't use hearing aids who could be shortening their life by making themselves more susceptible to dementia.

Crystal Rolfe, director of health at RNID, said "Hearing aids bring enormous benefits for people with hearing loss. Research shows that wearing hearing aids may reduce the risk of cognitive decline, and it is well known that they have positive effects on physical, social, emotional and mental wellbeing."

"Now it’s possible that hearing aids may even help people with hearing loss live longer, and we would welcome more research to understand the link. If you think you might have hearing loss, make checking your hearing your new year’s resolution – the benefits could be limitless," she concluded.