Hearing Loss Linked to Dementia, Study Finds

Hearing loss

Imagine waking up one day and noticing you’re struggling to hear. Conversations seem muffled, you ask people to repeat themselves, and eventually, you start to avoid social situations because it’s simply too hard to follow along. Hearing loss is something many people face as they age, but what if it affects more than just our ears? Could it be that the ears and the brain are more closely connected than we think? Recent research suggests exactly that. Hearing loss might not just be a matter of sound—it could also be linked to cognitive decline.

A major study led by Dr. Baptiste Grenier and his colleagues has brought new insights into this important connection. They set out to explore whether hearing loss could affect how our brain functions, especially as we age. Their research, published in JAMA Network Open, looked at more than 62,000 people aged between 45 and 69. What they found was striking: there is indeed a strong link between hearing loss and cognitive impairment. In fact, the worse the hearing, the more likely a person is to experience issues with memory, attention, and thinking.

Dr. Grenier’s team discovered that even mild hearing loss—when sounds aren’t quite as sharp as they used to be—was associated with a 10% higher chance of cognitive problems. When the hearing loss became more severe, known as disabling hearing loss, this risk jumped to 24%. “What we’re seeing is that hearing loss doesn’t just affect our ability to communicate—it also impacts how well the brain works across several areas,” Dr. Grenier explained. These findings suggest that keeping an eye on our hearing might be more important for brain health than we’ve previously thought.

This study isn’t the first to point out the connection between hearing loss and brain function. Back in 2020, a report by The Lancet Commission identified hearing loss as a key risk factor for dementia, stating that addressing it could prevent up to 8% of dementia cases globally. Dr. Quentin Lisan, one of the study’s co-authors, highlighted, “Our research supports the idea that hearing loss is not just a physical issue, but one that could potentially lead to cognitive decline over time.”

But why might this be the case? 

One explanation lies in how our brain allocates its resources. When we struggle to hear, our brain works harder to make sense of sounds, which leaves fewer resources for other tasks like memory or problem-solving. Over time, this extra strain could lead to cognitive decline. Another theory is that people with hearing loss tend to withdraw from social interactions because they find it difficult to communicate. This social isolation can itself lead to cognitive issues. As Dr. Grenier put it, “Hearing loss could be a double-edged sword—it makes communication harder, but it also isolates people, and both of these factors may contribute to cognitive problems.”

One of the key questions researchers wanted to answer was whether hearing aids could help. After all, if hearing loss is linked to cognitive decline, then it seems logical that improving hearing with a hearing aid might also protect the brain. However, the results of the study were a little disappointing in this regard. For most people, using a hearing aid didn’t significantly lower the chances of cognitive impairment. This doesn’t mean hearing aids aren’t helpful—they certainly improve quality of life by making it easier to communicate—but the study found no clear evidence that they could slow down cognitive decline.

That said, there was an interesting exception to this. The study found that people who had both hearing loss and depression seemed to benefit from hearing aids when it came to protecting their brain function. In this group, wearing a hearing aid was linked to a 38% reduction in the risk of cognitive decline. “This is something we need to explore further,” said Dr. Lisan. “It suggests that for certain people—particularly those dealing with both hearing loss and mental health challenges—hearing aids might play a role in keeping the brain healthy.”

The findings of this study raise some important questions about how we should approach hearing loss, especially as we age. Should we be checking our hearing more regularly, not just to improve our communication but also to monitor our brain health? And while hearing aids may not be the silver bullet we hoped for, they clearly offer benefits, particularly for those who struggle with both hearing and mood. Dr. Grenier emphasized, “The link between hearing and cognition is complex, and while hearing aids may not fully protect against cognitive decline, they still have enormous value for quality of life.”