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Poor hearing is the first step towards social isolation. This lack of interactions could also accelerate cognitive decline. Conversely, being fitted for hearing problems would reduce cognitive decline. Explanations.
According to British researchers, being equipped to hear better would reduce cognitive decline and improve brain test results.
Hearing aids reduce cognitive decline by 19%
Scientists at Alzheimer Research UK analyzed different studies looking at the effect of hearing interventions on cognitive function, cognitive decline, cognitive impairment and dementia in patients with hearing loss. In total, this work brings together data from 137,484 volunteers, who were followed for between 2 and 25 years.
By combining the results of all these studies, the authors were able to assess the benefit provided by hearing aids or cochlear implants in these volunteers. According to their findings, they are responsible for reducing long-term cognitive decline (less memory loss) by 19% and improving cognitive test scores (like problem solving) by 3%.
Hearing loss and dementia linked
For Dr. Susan Mitchell, co-author of this work, “there is growing evidence that people who lose their hearing as they age are at increased risk of developing dementia“. According to her, “this study provides further compelling evidence for this relationship“. A relationship that has already been highlighted by previous studies by a team from Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston and by a team from Inserm in Bordeaux who had already highlighted the impact of hearing aids on reducing the risk of dementia. Dr. Susan Mitchell, however, believes that further work is needed to find the reasons for this relationship between hearing loss and risk of dementia.
She is now promoting access to hearing tests for seniors at an early stage, to help them maintain their brain health and a richer social life.
“100% HEALTH” DRIVES HEARING AID SALES SOAR
According to the Observatory of the French hearing aid market just published by Les Échos Études, the impact of the “100% Health” reform implemented in 2021 is an undeniable success for the audiology component. Between 2019 and 2021, the market in volume almost doubled in size and the total number of people equipped increased by almost 68%. The volume of sales remains at a level more than twice that of the first three quarters of 2019 or 2020. A surge linked to the windfall effect created by the “100% Health” and which testifies to the latent demand particularly important that existed before the reform.
Source: Les Echos Etudes