Health
What Your Ears Reveal: Hearing Loss Linked to Two Brain Health Concerns
Hearing loss, often brushed off as a simple consequence of getting older, is now being linked to more serious health concerns, specifically dementia and Parkinson’s disease. Recent research indicates that hearing impairment could serve as an early warning sign for these neurological conditions, highlighting the need for proactive auditory health management to safeguard brain function.
A study conducted by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health revealed that hearing loss is a significant risk factor for dementia, accounting for 8% of global cases. This makes it the largest modifiable risk factor for the condition. Their findings, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) in January 2023, showed that adults aged 65 and older with moderate to severe hearing loss were more likely to have dementia.
Interestingly, another study published in The Journal of Prevention of Alzheimer’s Disease suggests that the risk of dementia linked with hearing loss begins as early as age 45. This research identified hearing loss as the second most prevalent modifiable risk factor among 12 others in the same age group. The Alzheimer’s Society explains that “hearing loss may also mean that the areas of the brain that help us understand sounds and speech have to work harder to understand what sounds are.” This extra effort could lead to brain changes affecting memory and cognitive abilities.
Encouragingly, the use of hearing aids has been shown to mitigate these risks. The 2023 JAMA study found that wearing hearing aids reduced the prevalence of dementia among those with hearing loss. Supporting this, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) reported that hearing aids cut the rate of cognitive decline by nearly 50% over three years in older adults at high risk for dementia. The Alzheimer’s Society adds, “Hearing aid use was also associated with fewer memory problems and thinking problems independent of dementia.”
In addition to dementia, new research from the U.K. has established a connection between hearing loss and Parkinson’s disease. Published in November in the journal Parkinsonism and Related Disorders, the study analyzed data from the U.K. Biobank involving 159,395 participants without a history of Parkinson’s. Over a follow-up period of approximately 14 years, 810 participants were diagnosed with the condition. The researchers found that every 10-decibel increase in baseline hearing impairment resulted in a 57% increased risk of Parkinson’s.
Megan Readman, the lead author of the study and a Post Doctoral Research Fellow at Lancaster University, emphasized the significance of these findings. “These findings are incredibly important; first, this is one of the first studies to look at how hearing impairments may increase risk for Parkinson’s or be an early warning sign of Parkinson’s,” she noted. She also highlighted the potential benefits of considering auditory functioning and impairment management at the time of diagnosis and follow-up care, although she cautioned that the study does not prove hearing loss causes Parkinson’s, suggesting a possible common underlying cause for both conditions.
The growing body of research underscores the importance of staying vigilant about auditory health. Regular hearing tests and timely interventions, such as the use of hearing aids, could play a crucial role in preserving cognitive function and reducing the risk of serious neurological conditions.
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