You may be asking, what has hearing aids got to do with dementia, new research in the United Kingdom has found untreated hearing loss, may increase the risk of dementia in middle aged and older adults.
The evidence is increasing that hearing loss may be the most impactful, modifiable risk factor for dementia in mid-life.
“Our study provides the best evidence to date to suggest that hearing aids could be a minimal invasive, cost-effective treatment to mitigate the potential impact of hearing loss on dementia “Dongsheng Zhu PhD with Shandong University, Jian China
The study, which was published online April 13, 2023, in Lancel Public Health, reported on dementia, that hearing loss may be linked to approximately 8% of worldwide dementia cases as reported by Medscape Medical news
Researchers analysed data from 437,704 people from the United Kingdom, then 12 year later they analysed hospital and death records to determine if they had been diagnosed with dementia. The average age in the research was 56 years old and 1 in 4 people reported having hearing loss of which only 12 % using hearing aids. Researcher found that people with hearing loss not using hearing aids had an increased risk of developing all forms of dementia.
To find out if you are eligible for the Australian government hearing services program, you can visit their website or phone 1800 555 660.
In our next issue we will be discussing your eligibility and how to apply, for the Australian Government hearing services program.
