Photo Credit: Jacob Wackerhausen
Recent findings suggest that hearing loss in dementia is common, but hearing aid use in patients with dementia is not, presenting an intervention opportunity.
Hearing loss is prevalent in people with dementia, but most people with dementia do not have hearing aids, according to an analysis published in JAMA Network Open.
“Among persons living with dementia (PLWD), sensory impairments, such as age-related hearing loss, are common and have been independently associated with an increased risk of neuropsychiatric symptoms and functional decline,” wrote Carrie L. Nieman, MD, and colleagues. “However, nationally representative estimates of audiometric hearing loss prevalence among PLWD are lacking. As both dementia and hearing loss have been identified as public health priorities that demand a public health–driven approach, a rigorous understanding of the prevalence and population estimates of persons living with concurrent dementia and hearing loss is needed.”
The researchers drew a nationally representative sample of PLWD using data from Medicare beneficiaries who participated in round 11 of the National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS). The cross-sectional analysis involved data from 2,613 patients aged 71 years and older. Slightly more than half (52.9%) of the participants were female, and about one-quarter (25.4%) were aged 80 years or older.
The overall prevalence of hearing loss among participants with dementia was estimated at 79.4%. The prevalence of hearing loss increased with age, from 61.1% among participants aged 71 to 74 years to 94.2% among those aged 85 years and older. Among participants with hearing loss, only 21.7% reported hearing aid use.
The authors noted that their findings suggest that hearing loss is exceedingly prevalent among PLWD; however, the issue is frequently overlooked, and the findings reveal a potential opportunity for clinical intervention. Moreover, they indicated that hearing loss is one of the most common comorbidities associated with dementia and should be considered when assessing the overall health and well-being of PLWD.
“With a growing understanding of the importance of sensory health within aging and cognitive health, the unmet hearing care needs of persons living with concurrent dementia and hearing loss is a public health priority,” the authors concluded.
