The Lancet Commission on Dementia Prevention and Care has expanded and confirmed strategies to lower risk of dementia later in life. Treating hearing loss is still their #1 strategy!
The Lancet Commission on Dementia Prevention, Intervention and Care has published three very important reports in 2017, 2020, and now in 2024. Lancet Commission members include many of the world’s leading brain scientists. All three reports of the commission have given emphasis to the benefits of treating hearing loss to lower the risk of dementia and boost healthy aging overall.
The 2024 Lancet Commission updated report includes the following sentence:
“The evidence that treating hearing loss decreases the risk of dementia is now stronger than when our previous Commission report was published.”
The reasons why treating hearing loss matters are not fully understood and may be indirect, but the benefits are real, nonetheless. So important, as a matter of fact, that the Lancet Commission continues to give hearing loss treatment high priority in its most recent update.
Moreover, our Beauport Hearing Care patient families report improved memory and social engagement after treating hearing loss with hearing aids AND aural rehabilitation. This is the kind of evidence we trust! In addition, research has established that hearing treatment keeps people more physically active and more engaged in life socially, and this activity is directly linked with lowering risk of decline. Regardless of where the research literature draws the line, treating hearing loss is consistently shown to improve overall health and slow or prevent dementia symptoms.
The crux of the academic argument is whether the link is direct or indirect. This is an academic argument that doesn’t impact clinical advice. Treating hearing loss is good for the brain and good for healthy aging. No one disagrees with that. Hear well. Bee well.
Reference: ENT & Audiology News, published online, 27 September 2024, Commentary: dementia, hearing loss, and the danger of professional rabbit holes | ENT & Audiology News (entandaudiologynews.com)
