Overview

• A JAMA Neurology analysis of adults who reported hearing loss in their sixties found a 61% lower incidence of all-cause dementia among those who used hearing aids versus those who did not.
• The same protective association did not appear in participants older than 70 in that study.
• Researchers reported low adoption, estimating that only 17% of people with moderate to severe hearing loss used hearing aids.
• Real-world adherence remains weak, with anecdotal reports of devices going unworn and an 89% non-take-up rate among seniors prescribed hearing aids in Singapore’s national screening program.
• Experts highlight increased cognitive load and social isolation from untreated hearing loss as likely pathways for higher dementia risk, reinforcing calls for early detection and post-fitting support.