Derry research points to hearing loss link to dementia precursor

A new study headed by a Derry-based academic has found that hearing loss increases the risk of a precursor to dementia called mild cognitive impairment – but this increased risk is not present in people who wear hearing aids.
Dr Magda Bucholc.Dr Magda Bucholc.
Dr Magda Bucholc.

The study – which was co-funded by Dementias Platform UK (DPUK) – investigated the risk of cognitively healthy people developing mild cognitive impairment (MCI). It found that hearing loss increases the risk of MCI, but that hearing aid use significantly reduces this risk.

MCI is a condition involving thinking and memory problems that are worse than the normal decline with age, but not bad enough to disrupt daily life and warrant a diagnosis of dementia. Around 20% of people over 65 have MCI, and while some patients’ functioning remains at this level, 10-15% of those with MCI develop dementia.

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Furthermore, roughly a third of people aged 65 and older have some form of hearing impairment. These figures are so high that The Lancet Commission on Dementia Prevention, Intervention, and Care estimated that untreated hearing loss may account for up to 9% of dementia cases.

Shedding light on this issue is a research team led by Dr Magda Bucholc, Lecturer in Data Analytics at Ulster University’s Magee Campus.

Their latest study is the first to investigate the link between hearing aids, cognitive decline, and progression to MCI in cognitively healthy individuals.

The current work builds on the team’s previous paper, which found that people with MCI who wore their hearing aids were less likely to develop dementia. The new study aimed to find interventions that can be put in place earlier in the dementia process to prevent the condition.

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Dr Bucholc said: ‘Our findings imply that the use of hearing aids may help lessen cognitive decline associated with hearing loss. So, improved audiology screening and better access to quality hearing healthcare form an actionable strategy to reduce the incidence of MCI and help mitigate the impending dementia epidemic.’

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