People who use hearing aids before the age of 70 can cut their risk of developing dementia, new research shows.
The study found that people with hearing loss who used hearing aids had a 61 per cent lower risk of dementia if they were diagnosed under 70.
Age-related hearing loss is already recognised as a risk factor for dementia, which involves a decline in memory, thinking and reasoning skills.
Researchers studied nearly 3,000 participants over a period of up to 20 years to assess the link between hearing aid use and dementia risk.
The authors wrote: “This finding highlights the importance of early intervention for HL [hearing loss] for possible prevention of dementia.”
Yet only 17 per cent of people with moderate to severe hearing loss use hearing aids, the study noted.
Experts at UCLA Health outlined three possible explanations for the link.
One is that hearing loss may accelerate brain deterioration.
Another is that the brain works harder to follow conversations when hearing is impaired, and this ongoing strain could weaken overall cognitive function.
There are more than 483,000 people in the England living with dementia, according to UK government research.
With an ageing population, cases are expected to double by 2060.
The findings underline the potential of addressing hearing loss early as a way to reduce cognitive decline in older adults.