Regular hearing aid use can add years to life

Among people with hearing loss, those who use their hearing aids regularly appear to live longer than those who do not use the device, according to a study.

Data from 9,885 adults (mean age 48.6 years, 51.0 percent women) who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey showed that while hearing loss was an independent risk factor for mortality (adjusted hazard ratio [HR], 1.40, 95 percent CI, 1.21–1.62), hearing aid use offset this risk. [Lancet Healthy Longev 2024;5:e66-e75]

Compared with never users, regular hearing aid users had a 24-percent lower risk of death (adjusted HR, 0.76, 95 percent CI, 0.60–0.95). Meanwhile, nonregular hearing aid use conferred no significant mortality benefit, with the risk of death being comparable between nonregular hearing aid users and never users (adjusted HR, 0.93, 0.70–1.24).

In the cohort, the weighted prevalence of audiometry-measured hearing loss was 14.7 percent, and the all-cause mortality rate was 13.2 percent over a median follow-up of 10.4 years. The rate of regular hearing aid use was 12.7 percent.

The analysis was adjusted for potential confounding factors such as demographics, hearing levels, and medical history.

“Adjustment for audiometry-measured hearing is important … as individuals with worse levels of hearing (who are more likely to be older, have medical comorbidities, and have higher mortality risks) are more likely to adopt hearing aids,” the investigators said. [Geriatr Nurs 2019;40:367-379; JAMA Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg  2019;145:36-43]

“Additionally, regular hearing aid use might be an indicator that an individual is more health conscious and more likely to follow up with medical appointments. In our cohort, the results remained significant after adjusting for relevant factors including demographics, income, education, insurance, and other medical comorbidities,” they added.

According to principal study investigator Dr Janet Choi of University of Southern California in Los Angeles, California, US, the results suggest a potentially beneficial role for hearing aids in preserving overall health and preventing early death among people with hearing loss.

Previous studies have linked untreated hearing loss to a reduced life span. While the exact reasons remain unclear, hearing loss may increase mortality through various mechanisms associated with certain diseases (eg, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and dementia), physiological decline and frailty, cognitive function, and communication difficulties. [JAMA Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg  2022;148:220-234; BMC Geriatr 2021;21:333; Neuron 2020;108:401-412; J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci 2020;75:2461-2470; Am J Med Qual 2019;34:284-292]

The present study did not delve into the reasons underlying the mortality benefit obtained with regularly using hearing aids, but Choi drew upon existing research that demonstrated a link between hearing aids and reduction in depression and dementia, suggesting that this improved cognitive and emotional well-being might contribute to extended lifespan. [Am J Audiol 2016;25:54-61; JAMA Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 2016;142:652-657]

Choi hopes the data from the study will encourage more people to wear hearing aids, while acknowledging the barriers to its uptake including cost, stigma, and difficulty finding devices that fit and function well.

“There should be additional efforts to improve accessibility and affordability of hearing aids and to address disparities in hearing healthcare as evidence of the potential protective role of hearing aid use against adverse health outcomes emerges,” she said.