Hearing loss, and how it impacts the brain as we age, has been the focus of numerous studies. More recently, especially, as medical professionals’ (and the public’s) interest in dementia has increased.
One such study, titled “Hearing loss and the risk of dementia in later life,” was published just last June. In the study, scientists from medical institutions across Australia analysed a variety of studies — including one of their own — and discovered that hearing impairment in midlife is associated with a 50 percent higher risk of developing dementia.
The good news? Another recent study found that hearing loss is one of nine dementia risk factors you can modify (by treating it at midlife) which can “contribute to prevention or delay of dementia.”
If you were ever looking for a reason to stop ignoring your hearing loss, these studies should be pretty persuasive.