Based on data from close to 10,000 adults, this recent study published in The Lancet shows a clear benefit of hearing aid use: reduced mortality risk.
Building on past evidence that has demonstrated a significant connection between hearing loss and mortality, the researchers sought to explore whether wearing hearing aids may reduce this risk.
The researchers found that, among individuals with hearing loss, regular hearing aid users had a significantly lower mortality risk than those who never wore hearing aids. Even after adjusting for factors such as existing comorbitidies, demographics, income, insurance and education, the results were still significant.
But why do hearing aids have this positive effect?
- Using hearing aids can reduce social isolation, loneliness and depression
- Individuals who wear their hearing aids regularly might be generally more health-conscious, and more likely to get help on other medical issues
- With untreated hearing loss, struggling to communicate with a clinician can increase risk of hospital admission and health costs
The main takeaway of the article is this: with hearing loss comes an increased risk of mortality, but this risk can be mitigated by regular hearing aid use.
Staying up to date on published research like this plays a key role in maintaining our mission at Pulse Audition: to bring high-quality speech enhancement technology to individuals with hearing loss as early as possible, improving their quality of life and making social interaction easy again.
