New research reveals adults regularly employing hearing aids see a significant 24% decreased risk of premature death compared to people with hearing loss who did not use hearing aids regularly.
Analyzing data from nearly 10,000 American adults followed over a decade, scientists at Keck Medicine of USC linked routine hearing aid use to enhanced longevity regardless of variables like degree of loss or health history.
- Non-regular users of hearing aids saw no benefit.
Details
- The researchers used the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey between 1999 and 2012 to identify almost 10,000 adults 20 and older who had completed audiometry testing and completed a questionnaire about their hearing aid use. 1,863 adults were identified as having hearing loss.
- From this pool of adults with hearing loss, 237 used their hearing aid regularly (wore their hearing aids at least once a week, five hours a week, or half the time)
- 1,483 people reported wearing their hearing aids less than once a month or less frequently—classified as non-regular users of hearing aids.
“We found that adults with hearing loss who regularly used hearing aids had a 24% lower risk of mortality than those who never wore them. These results are exciting because they suggest that hearing aids may play a protective role in people’s health and prevent early death.” —Janet Choi, MD, MPH, an otolaryngologist with Keck Medicine of USC and lead researcher of the study
Key findings
- Regular hearing aid users (at least 5 hrs/week) had 24% lower mortality risk compared to those who never used hearing aids
- Mortality risk reduction remained steady regardless of degree of hearing loss, age, demographics, or medical history
- Occasional hearing aid use showed no mortality risk reduction compared to never using them
Assumptions, assumptions
When hearing loss affects communication, some view hearing aids as optional. But evidence increasingly shows they provide vital cognitive and physiological support, and now, increased longevity.
Why it matters
Untreated hearing loss negatively impacts health, including social and cognitive decline. This research indicates that untreated hearing loss leads to earlier mortality.
- Treating hearing loss with hearing aids helps reverse this trajectory, improving lifespan and quality of life.
- While the study did not investigate why hearing aids help people live longer, Dr. Choi points to recent research linking hearing aid use with lowered levels of depression and dementia.
- She speculates that improved mental health that comes with better hearing promotes better overall health, which may enhance life span.
Personal experience: Dr. Choi understands the challenge of hearing loss. She was born with hearing loss in her left ear but did not wear hearing aids until her 30s.
What's next: Dr. Choi is working on an AI-driven database that categorizes hearing aid choices and matches them to patient needs.
Schedule a free hearing screening
Hearing loss is gradual and not benign. Untreated, it increases your risk of social isolation, falling, and dementia.
Check your hearing health with a free, 15-minute hearing screening by an audiologist.
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