Hearing aids help to keep your cognitive fitness in tip top shape.
A recent UK study has confirmed what many hearing and related healthcare professionals have long suspected; that untreated hearing loss increases a person’s chance of acquiring mild cognitive impairment (MCI), a precursor to the onset of dementia[1].
The study, which was cofounded by Dementias Platform UK (DPUK), looks at 4358 participants and found that hearing loss increases the risk of acquiring MCI, but this risk could be significantly reduced with the use of hearing aids.
What is Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI)?
Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is the stage between the expected cognitive decline of normal aging and the more serious decline of dementia. It's characterised by problems with memory, language, thinking or judgment, more so than that of what is expected of a cognitively healthy person[2].
A person with MCI may be aware that your memory or mental function has “slipped”, and it is often also noticed by friends and family, however the changes aren’t generally severe enough to significantly interference with a person’s daily life or warrant a diagnosis of dementia.
Around 20% of people over 65 have MCI, and while some patients’ functioning remains at this level, 10-15% of those with MCI develop dementia1.
It is not yet known with certainty why hearing loss is associated with increased dementia risk, however what is known is that hearing loss can cause a reduction in people’s ability to engage socially, resulting in higher rates of depression or loneliness, and/or changes to the brain associated with the impact of sensory deprivation. There is also the possibility that hearing problems require greater use of cognitive resources when individuals are engaged in listening.
The effect of hearing aids on MCI
- The research results show that those with hearing loss who use hearing aids are 50% less likely to acquire MCI compared with those with hearing loss who do not use hearing aids.
- Importantly, the study also found the risk of developing MCI is essentially the same between those without hearing loss and those with hearing loss who regularly wear their hearing aids. This suggests that hearing aids can help level the playing field when it comes to the onset of MCI.
Concerned about Mild Cognitive Impairment and hearing loss?
Talk to your GP and/or the clinical team at Value Hearing to learn more about hearing and MCI. Hearing tests are painless and a consultation with an independent hearing care specialist such as Value Hearing can make all the difference for you and your family. To find out more or to arrange an appointment click HERE
[1] Bucholc M, Bauermeister S ,Kaur D , McClean P L, Todd S. The impact of hearing impairment and hearing aid use on progression to mild cognitive impairment in cognitively healthy adults : An observational cohort study .Alzheimer’s Dement.2022;8:e12248
[2] Sourced from https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/mild-cognitive-impairment/symptoms-causes/ Accessed 1st March, 2022.
