Game changing news in the world of HEALTH and HEARING
Hi all! We wanted to share the results of a recent study because it will likely impact some of you, or your loved ones’ health.
Because we live and breathe all things hearing and speech, we know that there’s been years of well-established research linking a person’s hearing loss with their likelihood of cognitive decline. Which sounds sort of scary, right? Especially given that so many people will experience hearing loss as they age. “So many people” isn’t some abstract concept – we’re talking about our parents, our grandparents, our future selves.
However, what researchers didn’t know until recently, was what effect (if any) hearing aids had on reducing the risk for cognitive decline. Well, the results were pretty amazing, and cause for optimism. It turns out, hearing treatment in the form of hearing aids can slow the rate of cognitive decline by nearly 50% in people at risk for cognitive issues. Huge, Huge, Huge!
Let’s break down the study, called ACHIEVE, which was led by researchers at Johns Hopkins and seven additional participating institutions. In case you’re wondering, ACHIEVE stands for Aging and Cognitive Health Evaluation in Elders, and was the largest, randomized, controlled clinical trial to date, on the efficacy of hearing aid use for reducing long-term cognitive decline in older adults.
Researchers gave hearing aids to 1,000 seniors with hearing loss and tracked their cognitive abilities over three years.
For participants with higher risk factors for dementia, such as those with type 2 diabetes or high blood pressure, hearing aid use reduced cognitive decline by 48%.
Dr. Frank Lin, lead researcher in the new study, noted, “Hearing aid intervention … it basically allowed people to better hold on to their memory skills, better hold on to their abilities to use language, to name unfamiliar objects … as well as better overall rates of multitasking over time.”
While you’re reading this, if the face of a loved one has popped into your mind…. someone who you strongly suspect has hearing loss, please share this important news with them. Maybe it will be the nudge they need to get a hearing test and stay better connected with life.
Also, click the link below to watch a news segment that the TODAY show did on this groundbreaking study!
1 Today Show. (2023). How treatment for hearing loss can help reduce risk of dementia. NBC.
2 Johns Hopkins. (n.d.). The hidden risks of hearing loss.
https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/the-hidden-risks-of-hearing-loss