People with hearing loss are more likely to die early, reports a new study. The findings of the study are published in the journal Social Science and Medicine. A new study links hearing loss with an increased risk for mortality before the age of 75 due to cardiovascular disease. Researchers at the Robert N. Butler Columbia Aging Center at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health found that mortality among those with hearing loss is elevated, particularly among men and women younger than age 75 and those who are divorced or separated. However, mortality risk was diminished in adults with a well-hearing partner. This is the first study to investigate the combined effects of hearing loss with a partnership, parental status, and increased mortality risk.
‘Premature death risk: Hearing loss may lead to early death due to heart disease, reveals a new study.’
Read More..Tweet it Now
"Old age greatly increases the risk for hearing loss," said Vegard Skirbekk, Ph.D., Columbia Aging Center faculty member and professor of Population and Family Health at the Mailman School of Public Health. Read More..
"Therefore, as the population ages, we are seeing increasing numbers of people with hearing loss. At the same time, there are greater numbers of adults living without a partner--putting people with hearing loss at an increased risk for death."
Deaths related to cancer and injuries or as a result of injuries were not affected by hearing loss, although accident-related mortality was higher among the hearing impaired who lacked partners or children.
"This may be due to a greater fatality from traffic-related incidents, for instance, as family members otherwise may have helped to prevent many of these deaths through warnings or preventive action," said Bo Engdahl of the Norwegian Institute of Public Health, and first author.
Hearing loss is the fourth leading cause of disability. Strongly age dependent, it increases from approximately one percent among those aged 40 to 44 up to 50 percent in women and 62 percent in men aged 80 to 84. The researchers analyzed data from 50,462 adults enrolled in the Nord-Trøndelag Hearing Loss Study from 1996 to 1998. They used the Norwegian Cause of Death Registry to identify deaths until 2016. Data on marital status and number of children were obtained from the National Population Registry. The researchers also categorized smoking frequency, alcohol use, and physical activity.
Advertisement
Having a partner could allow someone with hearing loss to be socially active to a greater extent, as the spouse may provide support, take the initiative, and help them overcome thresholds for socializing with others. A spouse could also encourage the use of technical support, such as hearing aids and assist in consulting health services when necessary. Being in a relationship may also serve as a buffer against detrimental economic consequences of hearing loss.
Advertisement
"When governments develop plans to lower the incidence of hearing impairment, they may want to consider the family dimension when designing intervention and social and health support systems."
Source-Eurekalert