Earlier wear hearing aids reduce risk of dementia and falls

When hearing loss is found, many older people carry it, and are less willing to wear hearing aids. A study by the University of Michigan’s Department of Family Medicine found that hearing-impaired elderly people who wear hearing aids can reduce the risk of dementia, depression, anxiety and fall injuries.

The research team collected data from nearly 115,000 elderly people over 66 years of age with hearing loss. The analysis showed that older men who were “inaudible” were more likely to wear hearing aids than older women (11.3%) (13.3%). After 3 years, there was a significant difference in the physical and mental conditions of the test participants with and without hearing aids. The former is diagnosed with an 18% lower relative risk of dementia, an 11% lower risk of depression or anxiety, and a 13% lower risk of falls-related injuries. The findings are published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.

Researchers believe that not wearing hearing aids after hearing loss will lead to adverse social consequences, loss of independence in life, and loss of physical balance. Correcting hearing loss in a timely manner is expected to improve the physical and mental health of the elderly and improve their quality of life in old age.