A new study by the University of Exeter and King’s College London shows that people who wear a hearing aid for age-related hearing problems maintain better brain function over time than those who don’t.
This follows other important research which has shown that hearing loss is an important risk factor for dementia and that that wearing a hearing aid may mitigate that risk.
The PROTECT study, carried out by the two universities, surveyed 25,000 people aged 50 or over.
Both groups undertook annual cognitive tests over two years. After that time, the group who wore hearing aids performed better in measures assessing working memory and aspects of attention than those who didn’t. On one attention measure, people who wore hearing aids showed faster reaction times – in everyday terms, this is a reflection of concentration, for example, ‘straining to hear a sound’, ‘peering closely at an object of great interest’, ‘listening intently to someone speaking’.
The findings provide early evidence that encouraging people to wear an effective hearing aid may help to protect their brains and reduce their risk of dementia.
PROTECT lead Dr Anne Corbett, from the University of Exeter, said: “Previous research has shown that hearing loss is linked to a loss of brain function, memory and an increased risk of dementia. Our work is one of the largest studies to look at the impact of wearing a hearing aid, and suggests that wearing a hearing aid could actually protect the brain. We now need more research and a clinical trial to test this and perhaps feed into policy to help keep people healthy in later life.”
Professor Clive Ballard, of the University of Exeter Medical School, said: “We know that we could reduce dementia risk by a third if we all took action from mid life. This research is part of an essential body of work to find out what really works to keep our brains healthy. This is an early finding and needs more investigation, yet it has exciting potential. The message here is that if you’re advised you need a hearing aid, find one that works for you. At the very least it will improve your hearing and it could help keep your brain sharp too.”
If you’re experiencing the early signs of hearing loss and think you may benefit from having your hearing checked, contact the expert team at Mary Hare Hearing Centre for your free, comprehensive hearing assessment. Call today on 01635 523 343 or email newburycentre@maryhare.org.uk
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