Hearing loss is a common problem in the United States, affecting about 40 million adults. Surprisingly, only 10% of those who need hearing aids actually use them.
A new study from Keck Medicine of USC, recently published in The Lancet Healthy Longevity, suggests a good New Year’s resolution for those who don’t use hearing aids could be to start wearing them.
Janet Choi, MD, MPH, an expert at Keck Medicine and the main researcher of this study, shares some encouraging findings.
She found that adults with hearing loss who regularly used hearing aids had a 24% lower chance of dying early compared to those who didn’t wear them.
This is a big deal because it hints that hearing aids might not only help people hear better but could also protect their health and extend their life.
Previous studies have shown that not treating hearing loss can lead to a shorter life span. People with untreated hearing loss often feel lonely, get depressed, and might even develop dementia.
However, there hasn’t been much research on whether hearing aids can actually reduce the risk of dying. This new study by Choi and her team is a big step in understanding this relationship in the United States.
The team used data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, collected between 1999 and 2012.
They focused on almost 10,000 adults who had their hearing tested and answered questions about their use of hearing aids. They kept track of these people for about 10 years.
Out of 1,863 adults identified with hearing loss, 237 were regular users of hearing aids. Regular users were defined as those who wore their aids at least once a week for about five hours or half the time.
The rest, 1,483 adults, never used hearing aids. The study found that the lower risk of dying early for regular hearing aid users stayed the same even when considering factors like how bad the hearing loss was, age, race, income, education, and health history.
Interestingly, using hearing aids only occasionally didn’t seem to offer any benefit in terms of living longer.
While the study didn’t specifically look into why hearing aids might help people live longer, Choi points to other research.
Hearing aids can reduce depression and dementia, and improving hearing can help with mental health and brain function. These improvements could lead to better overall health and a longer life.
Choi hopes this study will motivate more people to wear hearing aids. She understands the challenges – hearing aids can be expensive, there’s often a stigma, and finding the right fit and function can be tough.
She relates personally to these issues, having been born with hearing loss in one ear. She didn’t start using a hearing device until her 30s and spent years finding the right ones.
Choi is working on an AI-driven system to help match hearing aid options to individual needs. She also wants to see more research on how regular use of hearing aids can lower the risk of dying early and promote better hearing care overall.
If you care about dementia, please read studies about low choline intake linked to higher dementia risk, and how eating nuts can affect your cognitive ability.
For more information about brain health, please see recent studies that blueberry supplements may prevent cognitive decline, and results showing higher magnesium intake could help benefit brain health.
The research findings can be found in The Lancet Healthy Longevity.
Copyright © 2023 Knowridge Science Report. All rights reserved.
