| Title: | Association between hearing aid use and all-cause and cause-specific dementia: an analysis of the UK Biobank cohort |
| Journal: | The Lancet Public Health |
| Published: | 14 Apr 2023 |
| Pubmed: | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37062296/ |
| DOI: | https://doi.org/10.1016/s2468-2667(23)00048-8 |
| URL: | http://www.thelancet.com/article/S2468266723000488/pdf |
Publication 11343
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Abstract
BACKGROUND: Dementia and hearing loss are both highly prevalent conditions among older adults. We aimed to examine the association between hearing aid use and risk of all-cause and cause-specific dementia among middle-aged and older-aged adults, and to explore the roles of mediators and moderators in their association.</p>
METHODS: We used data from the UK Biobank, a population-based cohort study, which recruited adults aged 40-69 years between 2006 and 2010 across 22 centres in England, Scotland, and Wales. We used Cox proportional hazards models to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% CIs between self-reported hearing aid use status (hearing loss with or without hearing aids) at baseline and risk of dementia (all-cause dementia, Alzheimer's disease, vascular dementia, and non-Alzheimer's disease non-vascular dementia). Dementia diagnoses were ascertained using hospital records and death-register data. We also analysed the roles of mediators (self-reported social isolation, loneliness, and mood) and moderators (self-reported education and income, smoking, morbidity, and measured APOE allele status).</p>
FINDINGS: After the exclusion of people who did not answer the question on hearing difficulties (n=25 081 [5·0%]) and those with dementia at baseline visit (n=283 [0·1%]), we included 437 704 people in the analyses. Compared with participants without hearing loss, people with hearing loss without hearing aids had an increased risk of all-cause dementia (HR 1·42 [95% CI 1·29-1·56]); we found no increased risk in people with hearing loss with hearing aids (1·04 [0·98-1·10]). The positive association of hearing aid use was observed in all-cause dementia and cause-specific dementia subtypes (Alzheimer's disease, vascular dementia, and non-Alzheimer's disease non-vascular dementia). The attributable risk proportion of dementia for hearing loss was estimated to be 29·6%. Of the total association between hearing aid use and all-cause dementia, 1·5% was mediated by reducing social isolation, 2·3% by reducing loneliness, and 7·1% by reducing depressed mood.</p>
INTERPRETATION: In people with hearing loss, hearing aid use is associated with a risk of dementia of a similar level to that of people without hearing loss. With the postulation that up to 8% of dementia cases could be prevented with proper hearing loss management, our findings highlight the urgent need to take measures to address hearing loss to improve cognitive decline.</p>
FUNDING: National Natural Science Foundation of China and Shandong Province, Taishan Scholars Project, China Medical Board, and China Postdoctoral Science Foundation.</p>
9 Authors
- Fan Jiang
- Shiva Raj Mishra
- Nipun Shrestha
- Akihiko Ozaki
- Salim S Virani
- Tess Bright
- Hannah Kuper
- Chengchao Zhou
- Dongshan Zhu
1 Application
| Application ID | Title |
|---|---|
| 68369 | Female-specific reproductive factors and the development of Alzheimer's disease |
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