Treating hearing loss early through the use of hearing aids could help reduce the risk of dementia, according to a decade-long study run by The Lancet public health journal.

The study examined data from 437,704 people with an average age of 56, whom the study followed up with for an average of 12 years.

The figures discovered by the researchers were astonishing, as hearing-impaired individuals that did not wear hearing aids were at a 42% higher risk of dementia when compared with people with normal hearing.

The study also revealed that there was no increased risk in people who wore hearing aids when compared to people with normal hearing.

The researchers found a 0.5% decrease in the risk of dementia when the hearing impaired utilized the devices., a great figure when compared to the average number of people at risk of the illness, which stands at 1.2%. 

The Lancet Commission identified hearing loss as the cause of about 8% of global dementia cases in 2020.

One of the largest health risks in the world

Dementia is one of the largest health risks in the world. It is estimated that by 2050, there will be 153 million individuals living with the illness worldwide. According to experts, this will pose a significant threat to the health and social care systems of every town, nation, and continent.

Professor Dongshan Zhu of Shandong University in China said, "The evidence is building that hearing loss may be the most impactful modifiable risk factor for dementia in mid-life, but the effectiveness of hearing aid use on reducing the risk of dementia in the real world has remained unclear."

"Our study provides the best evidence to date to suggest that hearing aids could be a minimally invasive, cost-effective treatment to mitigate the potential impact of hearing loss on dementia," the researcher explained.

The discoveries might be able to save a wide array of individuals from future illness as “close to four-fifths of people experiencing hearing loss do not use hearing aids in the UK,” according to Professor Zhu.

Zhu called for “a group effort from across society” to raise awareness of hearing loss and its link to dementia. 

The research urged for “increasing accessibility to hearing aids by reducing their cost, and more support for primary care workers to screen for hearing impairment, raise awareness, and deliver treatment such as fitting hearing aids.”

In any case, the availability of hearing aids is essential to improve the quality of life for the elderly and those affected early on by hearing impairment.

Read more: Bruce Willis diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia, family says.