A new study published in the scientific journal Neurology shows that using hearing aids may reduce the risk of dementia – even if it does not significantly improve memory.

What did they investigate?

• A large study conducted among thousands of seniors in Australia examined whether using hearing aids could affect the risk of developing dementia or cognitive decline.
• All participants had moderate hearing loss, but had not previously used a hearing aid, and had not been diagnosed with dementia.

What did they find?

• The results showed that using hearing aids reduced the risk of dementia from 7.5% to 5% over seven years,
• In addition, wearing hearing aids reduced the risk of overall cognitive decline from 42.4% to 36.1%.
• That is, the risk decreased the more frequent and regular the use of the hearing aid was.
• However, no significant effect was found on improvement in cognitive function itself among those who survived to the end of the follow-up period.

What are the conclusions?

• Consistent use of hearing aids may serve as a significant preventive measure against dementia in older age – even if it does not directly “improve memory.”
• The researchers emphasize that long-term randomized studies need to be conducted to definitively confirm this relationship. 

What are the recommendations for the public?

• This is a simple and safe step that may contribute to brain health.

The full article

• Link: https://www.neurology.org/doi/10.1212/WNL.0000000000214572
• Reference:

Cribb L, Moreno-Betancur M, Pase MP, et al. Treating Hearing Loss With Hearing Aids for the Prevention of Cognitive Decline and Dementia. Neurology. 2026 Feb 10;106(3):e214572. https://doi.org/10.1212/WNL.0000000000214572