By Wendy Haaf
If you have hearing loss, consistently wearing hearing aids could help you live longer, a recent US study suggests.
From data compiled on more than 10,000 adults aged 20 or older during a 1999–2012 national health and nutrition survey, researchers identified 1,863 adults with hearing loss. Of these, 237 were categorized as regular users— those who wore hearing aids half the time, at least once a week, or at least five hours a week. Those in the rest of the group were categorized as non-regular users (once a month or less) or never-users.
Over an average follow-up of 10 years, the death rate was 24% lower among those who regularly wore hearing aids than among never-users, even after accounting for factors such as income, age, and education.
Source: The Lancet Healthy Longevity
