Hearing Loss May Increase Cognitive Decline With Age

With age, hearing loss can put you at higher risk of cognitive decline, reports a new study. The findings of the study are published in the Journal of Gerontology: Series A Medical Sciences.//

Hearing impairment is associated with the accelerated cognitive decline with age, though the impact of mild hearing loss may be lessened by higher education, researchers say.

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‘Hearing loss is associated with increased cognitive decline with age. However, the impact of mild hearing loss may be reduced by higher education.’
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The findings suggest that those with more serious hearing impairment had worse performance at the initial visit on a pair of commonly used cognitive assessment tests.

However, the association of mild hearing impairment with the rate of cognitive decline was modified by education, said the researchers at the University of California, San Diego.

"We surmise that higher education may provide sufficient cognitive reserve to counter the effects of mild hearing loss, but not enough to overcome effects of more severe hearing impairment," said senior author Linda K. McEvoy, Professor at the varsity.

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For the study, the research team tracked 1,164 participants with a mean age 73.5 years of whom 64 percent were women.

All had undergone assessments for hearing accuracy and cognitive function between 1992 and 1996 and had up to five subsequent cognitive assessments at approximately four-year intervals. None used a hearing aid.

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They found that almost half of the participants had a mild hearing impairment, with 16.8 percent suffering moderate-to-severe hearing loss.

The team said that mild hearing impairment was associated with a steeper decline among study participants without a college education, but not among those with higher education.

Hearing Loss in Old Age Linked to Cognitive Decline
Hearing impairment occurs in old age and is associated with cognitive decline. But, the impact of mild hearing loss on cognition could be reduced by higher education.

Mild hearing impairment was associated with a steeper decline among study participants without a college education, but not among those with higher education.

Moderate-to-severe hearing impairment was associated with steeper cognitive decline regardless of education level, the researchers said.

Source-IANS