A large study from the UK has found that people with poor hearing may have a higher risk of developing heart failure. The research also shows that part of this connection may be explained by mental health struggles like stress, anxiety, or feeling socially isolated.
The study involved over 164,000 adults from the UK Biobank, a large health database that collects medical and lifestyle information from volunteers across the country. When the study began, none of the participants had heart failure. The researchers followed them for nearly 12 years to see who would develop the condition over time.
To measure hearing, the team used a special test called the Digit Triplets Test. This test checks how well someone can understand speech when there is background noise. It gives a number called the speech-reception threshold (SRT)—a higher number means worse hearing.
During the study, about 2.7% of the participants developed heart failure. The researchers noticed a clear trend: people with higher SRT scores, meaning worse hearing, were more likely to develop heart failure. The worse their hearing was, the greater their risk.
They also looked at different groups: people with normal hearing, people with slightly reduced hearing, those with poor hearing, and people who used hearing aids. Compared to those with normal hearing, all the other groups had a higher risk of heart failure.
People with slightly reduced hearing were 15% more likely to develop heart failure, those with poor hearing were 28% more likely, and those who used hearing aids were 26% more likely.
The study also explored why hearing loss might be linked to heart failure. One major reason is psychological distress. People with hearing problems may struggle to follow conversations or stay socially active, which can lead to stress, loneliness, or sadness. These mental health challenges are known to affect heart health.
In this study, psychological distress explained nearly 17% of the link between poor hearing and heart failure. Social isolation and personality traits like being overly worried or sensitive (called neuroticism) also played small roles.
Interestingly, the link between hearing loss and heart failure was even stronger in people who didn’t already have heart problems like coronary artery disease or stroke when the study began. This suggests that poor hearing might be an early warning sign for future heart issues, even in people who seem otherwise healthy.
The researchers believe their findings are important for both doctors and the public. If other studies confirm the results, it may be helpful to include hearing checks in regular health screenings—especially for older adults or people at risk for heart disease. Paying attention to hearing problems might help prevent serious heart conditions down the line.
In summary, this study shows that poor hearing is not just an inconvenience—it could be a sign of higher risk for heart failure. And it reminds us that mental health and physical health are closely linked. Helping people with hearing loss stay connected and supported could be one way to protect their heart health, too.
If you care about heart health, please read studies that vitamin K helps cut heart disease risk by a third, and a year of exercise reversed worrisome heart failure.
For more health information, please see recent studies about supplements that could help prevent heart disease, stroke, and results showing this food ingredient may strongly increase heart disease death risk.
The research findings can be found in Heart.
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