Clipping Board » Research Report ─ The latest medical research reports and related news.
Update Date: "2011/02/15 14:35" (Reuters New York, 15th)
According to a U.S. study, individuals with poor hearing have a higher likelihood of developing dementia as they age, raising expectations that widespread use of hearing aids could help curb dementia.
Research conducted by Dr. Frank Lin and colleagues at Johns Hopkins University, involving over 600 men and women, showed that the worse the hearing, the higher the risk of dementia.
Frank Lin stated, "Does hearing impairment directly lead to dementia? Absolutely not!"
"But does your risk increase? Certainly."
Overall, 9% of the study participants developed some form of dementia during the research period, mostly Alzheimer's disease. The findings were published in the "Archives of Neurology."
Even after accounting for age and other factors, individuals with mild hearing loss were nearly twice as likely to develop dementia compared to those with normal hearing. Those with moderate hearing loss faced three times the risk, while severe hearing loss increased the likelihood fivefold.
One possible explanation is that hearing loss makes it harder for older adults to cope with cognitive decline, or that the resulting social isolation and loneliness contribute to dementia. (Central News Agency translation)
Source: http:/ / tw. news. yahoo. com/ art……url/ d/ a/ 110215/ 16/ 2mg75. html
Study: Poor Hearing Linked to Dementia
According to a U.S. study, individuals with poor hearing have a higher likelihood of developing dementia as they age, raising expectations that widespread use of hearing aids could help curb dementia.
Research conducted by Dr. Frank Lin and colleagues at Johns Hopkins University, involving over 600 men and women, showed that the worse the hearing, the higher the risk of dementia.
Frank Lin stated, "Does hearing impairment directly lead to dementia? Absolutely not!"
"But does your risk increase? Certainly."
Overall, 9% of the study participants developed some form of dementia during the research period, mostly Alzheimer's disease. The findings were published in the "Archives of Neurology."
Even after accounting for age and other factors, individuals with mild hearing loss were nearly twice as likely to develop dementia compared to those with normal hearing. Those with moderate hearing loss faced three times the risk, while severe hearing loss increased the likelihood fivefold.
One possible explanation is that hearing loss makes it harder for older adults to cope with cognitive decline, or that the resulting social isolation and loneliness contribute to dementia. (Central News Agency translation)
Source: http:/ / tw. news. yahoo. com/ art……url/ d/ a/ 110215/ 16/ 2mg75. html