Hearing Aid Use Shown to Reduce Risk of Cognitive Decline

Recently published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, researchers reveal that hearing aid use reduces the rate of cognitive decline in the aging hearing impaired population. A group of scientists in France collected data over 25 years for a group of 3,670 seniors tracking levels of cognitive ability. Once analyzed, the results showed no difference in cognitive decline between non- hearing impaired adults and hearing impaired adults using hearing aids. However, the hearing impaired adults NOT using hearing aids had significantly lower scores on a test of cognitive function called the Mini-Mental State Examination. Other groups around the world are working on similar studies and if replicated, this new data will change the way the public thinks about hearing care.