Hearing Loss & Cognitive Decline: New Study Proves Link

After an 8-year-long research of a study of more than 10,000 men, scientists at Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School - both in Boston - have found that hearing loss is tied to a higher risk of cognitive decline.

This recent study adds to the growing body of knowledge that links hearing loss and cognitive decline. The study proved that the size of the risk of decline was in line with the severity of hearing loss. The risk of subjective cognitive decline was 30% higher among men with mild hearing loss, compared to those with no hearing loss at all.

Subjective cognitive decline refers to the changes in memory and thinking that people noice in themselves. "Our findings," says lead study author Dr. Sharon Curhan, who works as a physician and epidemiologist, "show that hearing loss is associated with new onset of subjective cognitive concerns which may be indicative of early-stage changes in cognition." They could also "help identify individuals at greater risk of cognitive decline," she adds.