Health
Hearing aid use could help people extend their lives, USC study finds
Wearing hearing aids could increase life span, a new study has found.
Research by the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California found that people who wear hearing aids regularly had a 24% lower risk of mortality.
The study, published in The Lancet Healthy Longevity earlier this month, evaluated the history of nearly 10,000 patients over the age of 20 who received hearing evaluations.
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Researchers looked at data compiled by the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey between 1999 and 2012 and followed the mortality status of each adult over an average 10-year period.
Of the 1,863 adults who were identified to have hearing loss, 237 were regular hearing aid users and 1,483 were considered “never users.”
There was no difference in mortality risk for people who wore their hearing aids irregularly, according to the study. (iStock)
The near-quarter difference in mortality rate remained evident between the two groups, regardless of factors like hearing loss severity, age, gender, income and medical history.
People who reported wearing their hearing aids less frequently were considered “non-regular users” in the study.
Between non-regular and never users, there was no difference in mortality risk indicated, which revealed that wearing hearing aids only occasionally may not extend life span.
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Janet Choi, M.D., a Keck Medicine otolaryngologist (ear, nose and throat doctor) and lead researcher of the study, reacted to the findings in a statement sent to Fox News Digital.
As someone who uses a hearing aid herself, Choi said she found the significant difference in mortality risks “exciting.”
Health factors such as social isolation, loneliness, depression, anxiety, decreased physical activity and dementia could occur due to hearing loss, the study author said. (iStock)
“It suggests that there may be a potential protective role of hearing aid use against mortality among those who could benefit from hearing aids,” she said.
Next, Choi and her research team plan to investigate the “cause-and-effect relationship between hearing aid use and mortality, as well as other health outcomes and the underlying mechanisms.”
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“I encourage anyone experiencing hearing difficulties to get their hearing tested and determine the type and severity of their hearing loss,” she said.
“You might be surprised at the variety of hearing device options available to assist with hearing loss that can enhance daily communication and quality of life.”
“You might be surprised at the variety of hearing device options available to assist with hearing loss that can enhance daily communication and quality of life,” the researcher said. (iStock)
The researcher noted that it may take time to find the right hearing aids and get used to them.
“Once you do, you’ll be amazed to hear the sounds that you have been missing,” she said.
While the study did not pinpoint the reason that life span could improve with hearing aid use, Choi suggested there are “several possible mechanisms” that could contribute.
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“One hypothesis is that the use of hearing aids modifies the effect of hearing loss on various health outcomes that contribute to mortality, including social isolation, loneliness, depression, anxiety, decreased physical activity and dementia,” she said.
“Another potential mechanism is the restoration of auditory input itself, which may impact brain structures.”
Hearing aids could “improve communication and adherence in medical settings,” the researcher said. (iStock)
Hearing aids may also “improve communication and adherence in medical settings,” Choi added.
People who use hearing aids regularly are also likely to be more health conscious and have a “higher level of access to health care,” according to the doctor.
Kamal Wagle, M.D., a geriatrician at Hackensack University Medical Group in New Jersey, who was not involved in the study, reiterated the importance of the findings in an interview with Fox News Digital.
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The research highlighted how hearing loss is associated with other aging-related health issues, the doctor said, like social isolation, depression, dementia, falls and overall frailty.
“This is really good to know,” he said. “For me, as a clinician, it has a lot of implications – and I can bring it up with patients, so we can engage them in correcting hearing aids, so we can improve their quality of life.”
Hearing aid use could improve social interactions, a geriatrician told Fox News Digital. (iStock)
This study could help encourage more widespread hearing aid use, he noted, which could lead to improved social interactions, mood and “overall quality of life.”
This increase in social and physical engagement could then be a factor in living longer, Wagle suggested.
The doctor also noted that a “good number” of his aging patients are “not really engaged” in correcting their hearing, especially since the cost of hearing aids can be a deterrent.
“I think a study like this will probably also help move the momentum of insurance coverage for hearing aids,” Wagle added.
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Nearsightedness (myopia) is skyrocketing globally, with nearly half of the world’s population expected to be myopic by 2050, according to the World Health Organization.
Heavy use of smartphones and other devices is associated with an 80% higher risk of myopia when combined with excessive computer use, but a new study suggests that dim indoor lighting could also be a factor.
For years, scientists have been puzzled by the different ways myopia is triggered. In lab settings, it can be induced by blurring vision or using different lenses. Conversely, it can be slowed by something as simple as spending time outdoors, research suggests.
Nearsightedness occurs when the eyeball grows too long from front to back, according to the American Optometric Association (AOA). This physical elongation causes light to focus in front of the retina rather than directly on it, making distant objects appear blurry.
The study suggests that myopia isn’t caused by the digital devices themselves, but by the low-light environments where they are typically used. (iStock)
Researchers at the State University of New York (SUNY) College of Optometry identified a potential specific trigger for this growth. When someone looks at a phone or a book up close, the pupil naturally constricts.
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“In bright outdoor light, the pupil constricts to protect the eye while still allowing ample light to reach the retina,” Urusha Maharjan, a SUNY Optometry doctoral student who conducted the study, said in a press release.
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“When people focus on close objects indoors, such as phones, tablets or books, the pupil can also constrict — not because of brightness, but to sharpen the image,” she went on. “In dim lighting, this combination may significantly reduce retinal illumination.”
High-intensity natural light prevents myopia because it provides enough retinal stimulation to override the “stop growing” signal, even when pupils are constricted. (iStock)
The hypothesis suggests that when the retina is deprived of light during extended close-up work, it sends a signal for the eye to grow.
In a dim environment, the narrowed pupil allows so little light through that the retinal activity isn’t strong enough to signal the eye to stop growing, the researchers found.
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In contrast, being outdoors provides light levels much brighter than indoors. This ensures that even when the pupil narrows to focus on a nearby object, the retina still receives a strong signal, maintaining healthy eye development.
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The team noted some limitations of the study, including the small subject group and the inability to directly measure internal lens changes, as the bright backgrounds used to mimic the outdoors made pupils too small for standard equipment.
Researchers believe that increasing indoor brightness during close-up work could be a simple, testable way to slow the global nearsightedness epidemic. (iStock)
“This is not a final answer,” Jose-Manuel Alonso, MD, PhD, SUNY distinguished professor and senior author of the study, said in the release.
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“But the study offers a testable hypothesis that reframes how visual habits, lighting and eye focusing interact.”
The study was published in the journal Cell Reports.
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Older adults classified as “SuperAgers” generate at least twice as many neurons in the hippocampus than their typical aging peers, a new study has revealed.
These findings, released on Wednesday by the University of Illinois Chicago and Northwestern University, could help explain why SuperAgers have exceptional memory and cognitive resilience even well past 80 years old.
Northwestern has been studying SuperAgers for decades, defining them as “extraordinary individuals aged 80 and above whose memory performance rivals that of people three decades younger.” The researchers use special memory recall tests to make this determination.
In this study, they analyzed post-mortem brain tissue — nearly 356,000 individual cell nuclei — with a focus on the hippocampus, which is essential for forming new memories and supporting learning and spatial navigation.
They compared tissue from SuperAgers, typical older adults, older adults with early dementia/Alzheimer’s and younger healthy adults.
SuperAger Ralph Rehbock sits with his wife in his home. New findings from the University of Illinois Chicago and Northwestern University could help explain why SuperAgers have exceptional memory and cognitive resilience well past 80 years old. (Shane Collins, Northwestern University)
The researchers found that SuperAgers produced at least twice as many new neurons compared to “cognitively normal” older adults and those with Alzheimer’s pathology.
They also found that changes in certain brain support cells (astrocytes) and key memory cells (CA1 neurons) are linked to preserved cognitive ability, helping to keep the brain sharp with age.
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The SuperAgers also had different genetic activity patterns in their brains compared to those in Alzheimer’s disease.
“SuperAgers have more immature neurons and neuroblasts in the hippocampus, which is an indication of stronger neurogenesis when compared with other groups,” study co-author Changiz Geula, research professor of cell and developmental biology and neuroscience at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, told Fox News Digital.
Northwestern University study co-author Ivan Ayala examines a SuperAger brain sample on a slide. (Shane Collins, Northwestern University)
“The study also showed that specific cells in the hippocampus show unique gene expression profiles that relate to neuronal function and transmission and are associated with superior cognitive function.”
The findings were published in the journal Nature.
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“We’ve always said that SuperAgers show that the aging brain can be biologically active, adaptable and flexible, but we didn’t know why,” said co-author Tamar Gefen, associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and a neuropsychologist at Northwestern’s Mesulam Institute for Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer’s Disease, in the release.
“This is biological proof that their brains are more plastic, and a real discovery that shows that neurogenesis of young neurons in the hippocampus may be a contributing factor.”
Dr. Tamar Gefen examines a slide of a SuperAger brain. (Shane Collins, Northwestern University)
Dr. Marc Siegel, Fox News senior medical analyst, commented that the study discovered signs of plasticity and regeneration in SuperAgers.
“It confirmed not only preservation of brain tissue in the hippocampus, which is crucial for memory and cognition, but also regeneration and increased development of brain cells in that area,” Siegel, who was not involved in the study, told Fox News Digital.
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“This is an important study because it may lead to certain cell gene treatments that could lead to more SuperAgers,” the doctor said. “It may also lead to more advanced testing to determine who will be a SuperAger and guide clinical treatment and management.”
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The study did have some limitations, primarily that the research relied on tissue samples taken at one specific point, instead of tracking changes over time.
Brain samples are fixed in blocks of wax so they can be stored and examined. (Shane Collins, Northwestern University)
Geula noted that studies using human brain tissue typically involve fewer cases than animal research, which can be a limitation. However, he emphasized that each case in this study was analyzed thoroughly.
“While these findings are not directly translatable to changes in everyday life and activities, they suggest that cognitive resilience is associated with greater integrity of many brain systems,” he told Fox News Digital. “This implies that attending to brain health is crucial for maintaining cognitive function in old age.”
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“Thus, maintaining good overall health by keeping systemic diseases in check, maintaining a healthy diet and exercise, and ensuring the elderly remain mentally active assume more importance.”
The study was funded by the National Institute on Aging, which is part of the National Institutes of Health.
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