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Evaluation of the Association Between Hearing Aids and Reduced Cognitive Decline in Older Adults with Hearing
Tetsuya Ganbo1, Jun Sashida, Miwako Saito
1Nishitokyo Medical Association, Nishitokyo City, Tokyo, Japan.
Objective:
We investigated whether hearing aids (HAs) for hearing impairment may reduce cognitive decline in older adults.
Study Design:
Retrospective cohort.
Setting:
Ambulatory for medical checkup.
Patients:
Comprised 1,453 older adults aged 65 to 90 years.
Intervention:
HAs were recommended for hearing impairment with thresholds of ≥40 dB.
Main Outcome Measures:
The Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and pure-tone audiometry were performed. Over 2 years, multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to assess the effects of sex, age, hearing, HAs, hypertension, diabetes, cerebrovascular disease, smoking, and drinking on MMSE scores.
Results:
Of 1,453 participants who underwent MMSE, 1,320 who underwent audiometry in the first-year included 99 HA users. Of the 1,320 participants, 858 (89 HA users) were followed longitudinally for 1 year and 672 (66 HA users) for 2 years. In the first-year cross-sectional study, the risk ratios (RRs) for hearing impairment (≥25 dB) when the MMSE scores were ≤23 and ≤27 points were 2.97 (1.40-6.28) and 1.34 (1.01-1.79), respectively. For moderate (40-<70 dB) and moderate to severe (≥40 dB) hearing impairment, the RRs for HA use were 0.30 (0.11-0.86) and 0.50 (0.22-1.13), respectively, when the MMSE scores were ≤23. A 2-year follow-up of participants with moderate hearing impairment yielded hazard ratios for MMSE score decrease of 0.30 (0.11-0.82) after 1 year and 0.16 (0.04-0.64) after 2 years in HA users.
Conclusions:
HA use may be associated with reducing MMSE score decrease in older adults with moderate hearing impairment.
