Association between hearing aid use and dementia: an analysis of the UK Biobank data.

A large, decade-long study has found that tackling hearing loss early and using hearing aids could help reduce the risk of developing dementia.

The study was published in The Lancet public health journal and was conducted by researchers from various institutions, including Shandong University in China.

The research suggests that tackling hearing loss early may help to reduce the global burden of the disease. Dementia is a significant health threat, and experts predict that the number of people living with the condition worldwide will nearly triple by 2050.

People with hearing loss who are not using hearing aids may have a higher risk of dementia than those without hearing loss. However, the study found that using a hearing aid could reduce this risk to the same level as people without hearing loss.

The researchers analysed data from 437,704 people taking part in the UK Biobank study and found that compared with people with normal hearing, those with hearing loss not using hearing aids had a 42% higher risk of all-cause dementia. However, there was no increased risk in people who used hearing aids.

The study's lead author, Prof Dongshan Zhu, of Shandong University in China, said the findings highlight the urgent need for the early introduction of hearing aids when someone starts to experience hearing impairment.

The full study is available here:

https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanpub/article/PIIS2468-2667(23)00048-8/fulltext

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