HEARING aids may reduce cognitive decline in older adults at high risk of dementia, according to a trial called Achieve, published this week in the Lancet.
Dr Frank Lin, the study's co-author and a professor at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, told CBS News "past thinking was 'ah, hearing loss, it doesn't really matter, so why bother?'
"I think this Achieve trial is clearly showing, well, it really does matter.
"It makes a big difference.
"When we saw a 50% reduction, we were sort of blown away and surprised," Lin said.
The first-of-its-kind study looked at nearly 1,000 people between 70 and 84 years old with untreated hearing loss.
Researchers found that, in the group using hearing aids over three years, cognitive decline slowed by 48% in people with increased risk factors for dementia, such as diabetes, high BP and living alone.
There was no significant change in those not at high risk, the study uncovered.
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