HOUSTON: Hearing loss contributes to dementia and mental decline, according to new medical research by a doctor who plans to begin the first clinical trial to study whether hearing aids could prevent or mitigate brain decline.
Physician Frank Lin said the prevalence of hearing loss doubles for every decade of life, and that its high frequency has led physicians to dismiss it too often. “The vast majority of dementias in late life are multifactorial,” he said, “but the role of hearing loss has just not been studied.”