The Link Between Hearing Loss and Dementia: A Hearing Aid May Cut Your Risk in Half
Doctors explain how the two conditions may be connected—and how to protect your brain
As we age, it becomes more important than ever to look after our brain health. You already know that eating a balanced diet and getting enough of certain nutrients can help reduce the risk of cognitive decline. But what you may not know is that taking preventative measures to treat hearing loss can also protect you. New research suggests that when it comes to dementia, hearing loss may be something to look out for. Here’s everything you need to know.
The link between dementia and hearing loss
In the early, pre-clinical stages of Alzheimer’s disease, certain proteins like amyloid begin to accumulate in the brain, setting off changes that can eventually lead to memory loss and cognitive decline, explains Salvatore Napoli, MD, Medical Director at Neurology and Infusion Centers of New England,. Though hearing loss isn’t directly caused by these proteins, emerging research suggests it is tied to the same brain changes related to Alzheimer’s disease. (More on that below)
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Before people may even notice any signs of dementia or Alzheimer’s, experts suspect these amyloid proteins are accumulating in the brain. Over time, they form clumps that can’t dissolve and stick to brain tissue. Eventually, doctors can detect a build-up of amyloid and people will start to notice symptoms of memory impairment—this is the initial onset of the disease.What the research shows about hearing loss and dementia
A 2023 Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health study of more than 2,000 participants found that those with moderate to severe hearing loss were 61 percent more likely to have dementia than those with normal hearing.While the study results demonstrated an association between dementia and severe hearing loss, Johns Hopkins researchers say more research needs to be done to study the connection.
A separate study published in the journal Neuron investigated three different mechanisms that are said to be responsible for the link between hearing loss and risk of dementia. The first explanation is that there is a common cause for both hearing loss and dementia. The second is that lack of auditory input to the brain leads to brain shrinkage, a risk factor for dementia. The third is that cognitive impairment causes the brain to use more resources in order to compensate for hearing loss.
Another theory is that abnormal activity in a key brain region can restrict your brain’s auditory pattern analysis (your ability to recognize patterns of sounds and voices), working memory (your ability to store memories) and object processing (your ability to identify objects). These can also be symptoms of dementia.
The researchers concluded that our ability to listen to our environment allows us to store and process information from it. In cases of people with dementia, that area of the brain becomes compromised, explaining a possible link between hearing and cognitive decline.
The importance of treating hearing loss
While more research needs to be done to definitively conclude that people with hearing loss are at an increased risk of developing dementia, that doesn’t mean you should wait to see a doctor if you’re having trouble hearing. Regular hearing tests (especially for older adults) is a crucial step toward warding off dementia.
In fact, hearing aids reduce the risk of cognitive decline by as much as 50 percent, suggests an NIH study. “Hearing loss is very treatable in later life, which makes it an important public health target to reduce risk of cognitive decline and dementia,” says study lead Frank Lin, MD.
That’s why paying attention to your body so you catch any hearing loss symptoms and act quickly is key.
“Early intervention makes a big difference,” explains Dr. Napoli. “The earlier you can catch something, the less damage accumulates and you’ll improve your chances of slowing the condition down. The earlier you intervene, there is less of a chance of amyloid and tau accumulation in the brain. We find with later diagnoses, these patients may not ‘catch up’, so the earlier we can catch people, the better.”
So even if you think your hearing isn’t so bad, or you’re worried or feel insecure about having to wear a hearing aid, the experts agree that monitoring your hearing can protect your brain—and your memory—in the long term. Go ahead and make that doctor’s appointment!
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