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A recent study suggests that even mild hearing loss may be an early warning sign for Alzheimer’s disease. Researchers used data from the Framingham Heart Study to compare hearing test results, brain imaging (MRI), and cognitive testing over time. They found that participants with even slight hearing loss showed faster accumulation of white-matter abnormalities and declines in executive brain function.
Over a 15-year follow-up, those with at least slight hearing loss faced about a 70 percent higher risk of developing dementia (mostly Alzheimer’s) compared with people who had normal hearing. The risk was especially high among people carrying the APOE ε4 gene. Notably, people with hearing loss who used hearing aids appeared to show a reduced risk for dementia than those who did not. While the findings do not prove hearing loss causes Alzheimer’s, researchers believe that hearing tests might help identify people at elevated dementia risk.
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