The New York Times (2/11, Bouton) “Well” blog examines the relationship between hearing loss and dementia. “In a 2011 paper in the Archives of Neurology, Dr. [Frank] Lin and colleagues found a strong association between the two. The researchers looked at 639 subjects, ranging in age at the beginning of the study from 36 to 90 (with the majority between 60 and 80).” Participants were followed for about 18 years. “‘Compared to individuals with normal hearing, those individuals with a mild, moderate, and severe hearing loss, respectively, had a two-, three- and five-fold increased risk of developing dementia over the course of the study,’ Dr. Lin wrote in an e-mail summarizing the results.” A study of 1,984 seniors published online last month in JAMA Internal Medicine confirmed the 2011 study’s results.
Related Links:
— “Straining to Hear and Fend Off Dementia, “Katherine Bouton, New York Times, February 11, 2013.