A team from the University of Geneva analyzed data from 33,000 Europeans over 50 to assess the impact of hearing loss on dementia risk. Every two years, participants shared information about their lifestyle, social activity, and took memory and thinking tests. The results of the study are published on the website of the educational institution.
The findings showed that hearing loss combined with loneliness was the most associated with increased risk of cognitive decline. Importantly, this was based on the subjective feeling of loneliness reported by the participants. No such increased risk was found in people who were socially isolated but did not feel lonely.
The authors emphasize that the results point to the need for preventive measures for people in this risk group. For example, simply using a hearing aid may be enough to engage a person in social life, which in the long term will help reduce the risk of dementia.
Previously, other scientists analyzed the connection between loneliness and increased mortality risks, but the study did not confirm this hypothesis. The findings were obtained by analyzing data from more than 380 thousand people.
