Can Hearing Loss Treatment Help Prevent Dementia?

We all know hearing loss can make a big impact as we age, but it’s also the greatest treatable risk factor for dementia. Here’s what you need to know.

Dementia is a disease affecting many people worldwide. In fact, a report published by The Lancet Commission on Dementia Prevention, Intervention and Care called dementia “the greatest global challenge for health and social care in the 21^st century.”

Ask friends and loved ones of the estimated 50 million people worldwide who have dementia, and they’ll no doubt back it up — with stories about the worry, stress, sadness and devastation that dementia leaves in its wake.

There is comfort for people living with dementia and those caring for them, however. They can take steps to maintain their quality of life by being active and participating in activities that stimulate the brain and maintain daily activities.

Formed to provide recommendations for the prevention and management of dementia, this Lancet Commission published their initial report in 2017, then updated it in 2020.

But before we get to their recommendations for ways to prevent dementia, let’s quickly explain why a hearing loss partner would write about it in the first place.

Hearing loss is a known risk factor for dementia

One treatable link to dementia is hearing loss. One Johns Hopkins study concluded that people with hearing loss are up to five times more at risk for developing dementia than peers with normal hearing.

While the science is not definitive on exactly why hearing loss increases dementia risk, researchers agree on three probable reasons, all of which are contributing factors to dementia:

Hearing loss leads to social isolation and loneliness — Social isolation has been associated with a 50% increased risk of dementia.
Hearing loss shifts the cognitive load of the brain — The brain spends too much energy trying to process what it’s hearing, leaving it less energy to spend on thinking and memory.
Hearing loss accelerates brain atrophy — While all brains shrink as we age, in studies, people with impaired hearing had “accelerated rates of brain atrophy.”

OK, let’s get back to the Commission’s recommendations.

12 modifiable risk factors account for 40% of dementia cases

In its initial report, the Commission stated “dementia is by no means an inevitable consequence” of aging. Rather, it determined that certain “potentially reversible risk factors” might increase a person’s risk of developing dementia.

More specifically, it determined there were 12 “risk factors” identified as hearing loss, childhood education, smoking, depression, physical inactivity, social isolation, traumatic brain injury, hypertension, air pollution, alcohol consumption, obesity and diabetes.

Then the Commission noted that, “together those 12 modifiable risk factors account for around 40% of worldwide dementias” and calculated that that 40% of dementia cases “could theoretically be prevented or delayed” if those risk factors could be managed, modified or reversed.

Hearing loss is the single largest modifiable risk factor for dementia

In its report, the Lancet Commission ranked each of the 12 risk factors by the percentage reduction in new dementia cases if it was eliminated. The highest ranked risk factor was hearing loss — meaning it had the biggest impact on dementia cases of the 12 risk factors.

While some of the risk factors are certainly more challenging to manage or modify than others, the good news is that hearing loss is both manageable and modifiable through treatment.

The Commission recommends modifying hearing loss in midlife

Dementia doesn’t typically show symptoms until around age 65 and over. But the report’s authors note that dementia likely begins between ages 40-65. Managing these risk factors at various stages of life could contribute to prevention or delay of dementia.

The recommendation for hearing loss is to manage it in midlife (between age 40-65), before it has a chance to negatively impact cognitive skills. This is consistent with what others have found and said. Of course, treating it anytime you’re ready is smart.

It’s just one more very good reason to treat hearing loss

Having dementia is a real concern for older adults and for the people who love them. The good news is that as research sheds light on the causes and contributing factors of dementia, the more we learn of things we can do to potentially prevent or delay its onset.

Hearing loss is absolutely something we can manage with the help of an experienced hearing care professional. If you have hearing loss, this research gives you another great reason to treat it as soon as you can.

No matter your age, early detection of health concerns offers the best options for treatment and better overall health. For more information about baseline testing and regular hearing checks, speak with a hearing healthcare professional. Find out more about the importance of regular hearing checkups here.