Does hearing loss increase your chances of developing Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, and cognitive decline? Could hearing aids be an important tool in the fight against these conditions? 

This article explores the latest scientific research on this important topic and what it means for you and your loved ones. 

According to a 2020 study, “approximately two out of three Americans experience some level of cognitive impairment at an average age of 70.” Meanwhile, the lifetime risk of dementia is 24% for men and 37% for women. As for Alzheimer’s disease, 13% of people ages 75-84 (and 33% of people ages 85 and older) have the condition. 

The situation gets worse when you consider those with mild to moderate hearing loss—because hearing loss is a top risk factor for cognitive decline, dementia, and Alzheimer’s disease. 

This is not only worrisome for anyone growing older (which is all of us), but it inspires an extremely important question: How can I protect my cognitive abilities with the passage of time?

In this article, we’ll review the latest research on the connection between hearing loss and cognitive decline. We’ll also answer the very important question: Can hearing aids prevent or slow Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, and cognitive decline?

The Connection Between Hearing Loss, Alzheimer’s Disease, Cognitive Decline, and Dementia 

Over the last decade, some of the highest regarded medical research institutions in the world have determined that if you have hearing loss, you’re at a significantly higher risk of developing dementia, Alzheimer’s, and cognitive decline. 

On one side of this equation, people with hearing loss and people with cognitive decline exhibit similar symptoms. This includes struggling with understanding speech, in addition to suffering from anxiety, depression, loneliness, and paranoia. 

In fact, many confuse the symptoms of cognitive decline and hearing loss, which can result in misdiagnoses when it comes to determining what’s going on. 

Even worse, research shows that untreated hearing loss can dramatically increase the speed and progression of these conditions.

Overview of the Latest 2025 Research on Hearing Loss, Alzheimer’s, Dementia, and Cognitive Decline

The first major study about hearing loss and cognitive decline was published a little more than a decade ago, in 2013. The study monitored cognitive impairment scores over six years for nearly 2,000 older adults. 

According to the results, patients with hearing loss experienced faster cognitive decline. At the beginning of the study, all participants were cognitively normal. However, by the end of it, those with hearing loss had a 24% higher risk of suffering from cognitive impairment.

Another study (published in 2021 by Oxford University) found that people who struggle to hear speech in noise were more likely to develop dementia. Adding further concern, a 2020 Lancet report listed hearing loss as one of the top risk factors for dementia.

Johns Hopkins University recently distilled the last decade of hearing loss and cognitive decline research with the following conclusion:

Brainscans show us that hearing loss may contribute to a faster rate of atrophy in the brain. Hearing loss also contributes to social isolation. You may not want to be with people as much, and when you are you may not engage in conversation as much. These factors may contribute to dementia.” (source)

Studies over the last several years suggest that hearing loss may be the largest contributor to dementia out of all known risk factors.” (source)

Can You Slow or Prevent Dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease (if You Have Hearing Loss)?

If you have hearing loss, there’s something simple you can do, which might protect you from cognitive decline. According to the latest cutting-edge research (a landmark 2023 study by Johns Hopkins University), hearing aids may prevent or slow the rate of onset.

Let’s dive deeper into what the Johns Hopkins study found:

In the study, Johns Hopkins monitored nearly 1,000 older adults aged 70-84 with mild to moderate hearing loss. Here’s how they divided the study:

Half got best-practices hearing intervention: meeting with an audiologist over four sessions, getting hearing aids—everything to support their hearing communication needs.

The other half got a health education control intervention: meeting with a health care educator to go over topics that are critical for healthy aging like nutrition, vaccinations, etc. Everyone had the same amount of exposure to study personnel.

Everyone was then followed for three years, with visits every six months during which their cognition was assessed with a standardized battery of thinking and memory tasks.”

Another critical part of the study was that 25% of the participants were at risk for cardiovascular disease (atherosclerosis). This group was older on average than others in the study. Remember this detail for later. 

Did Hearing Care Slow or Prevent Cognitive Decline in the Study?

At first (after three years of research), it did not appear that hearing aids prevented or slowed cognitive decline. But the Johns Hopkins researchers decided to dig deeper. 

They separated out the data for the group of hearing loss patients at risk for atherosclerosis (heart disease). What they found was unexpected:

Participants at risk for cardiovascular disease (who received hearing care) experienced a staggering 50% reduction in the speed of their cognitive decline. As for the half that didn’t receive hearing care, they experienced no additional benefit.

Johns Hopkins concluded the following:

The clinical takeaway is that almost anyone with hearing loss as an older adult should get their hearing checked and address hearing issues if there are any. There's really no downside to it. Hearing intervention comes at no risk.”

We think we saw a huge reduction in cognitive decline with the hearing intervention in the [at risk for atherosclerosis] group because this group actually had cognitive decline, while the healthy community volunteers didn't really have much cognitive change at all."

Can it help your cognition in the short term if you're a completely cognitively healthy person? No, but it can help cognition in the longer term. That longer-term study for healthy people is what we’ll do over the next several years.” 

The conclusion was clear. Hearing aids definitively slow down the progression of cognitive decline for individuals at risk for heart disease. Johns Hopkins also believes that hearing aids, in general, likely improve the cognitive function of healthy individuals over the long term, and they’re currently conducting an additional study to find the data that proves it. 

We’ll keep you updated on the results in further articles. 

But Why? Why Do Hearing Aids Slow Cognitive Decline in Some Individuals?

There are a number of explanations why hearing aids help combat cognitive decline:

1. Changes in the Brain Due to Hearing Loss

Studies show that when we stop using the part of the brain responsible for hearing, changes in the brain structure and tissue loss occur. These parts of the brain seemingly shrink, which is a possible link to the effects of dementia and Alzheimer’s.

2. Hearing Loss and Social Isolation

Hearing loss can contribute to social isolation, as people with hearing loss often withdraw from socializing due to communication difficulties. Being less socially engaged means the brain is less stimulated, increasing the risk of cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s.

3. Hearing Loss and Brain Overload 

Struggling to hear all the time can take its toll on the brain. For people with hearing loss, the brain has to work hard to process sound and make sense of conversation. The extra energy needed to hear can be at the cost of other processes, such as memory, decision-making, and reasoning.

This “brain overload” could increase the risk of Alzheimer’s and other cognitive disorders by exacerbating a problem that’s already there. 

Does Hearing Loss and Dementia Have a Common Cause?

It could be possible that hearing loss and dementia share a common cause. Certain types of dementia, specifically vascular dementia, are caused by reduced blood flow to the brain. A rich supply of blood flow is not only essential for our cognitive health but also our hearing health. If the part of our brain that processes sound (our auditory system) doesn't receive sufficient blood supply, this can impact our hearing. 

What’s the Verdict? Can Hearing Aids Delay the Risk or Progression of Alzheimer’s and Dementia?

For those in the category of ‘at risk for atherosclerosis’, the answer is an affirmative yes! Hearing aids can delay Alzheimer’s and dementia—by an average of 50%, according to Johns Hopkins. 

Ongoing Questions

More research is still needed to determine if hearing aids have a similar effect on individuals without the risk of heart disease (atherosclerosis). 

However, if hearing aids are shown to delay the onset of Alzheimer’s, dementia, and cognitive decline in all adults (regardless of their heart disease risks), then a powerful, non-pharmaceutical tool will be revealed in the fight against age-related brain impairment. 

Final Thoughts

The findings that hearing aids help those at risk for heart disease (a high percentage of older adults) to delay cognitive decline is extremely exciting. So is Johns Hopkins’ hypothesis that hearing aids may slow cognitive decline in all adults over the long-term (which they are currently investigating in a deeper study).

This research adds more fuel to many other past studies that showed other  positive health benefits of treating hearing loss with hearing aids. 

These benefits of hearing aids include: 

• The primary action of improving your hearing, which helps you enjoy your environment, conversations, television, parties, church, social gatherings, and more.

• Helping you maintain meaningful connections with your loved ones.

• Preventing the risk of falls by providing better balance and spatial awareness. 

• Improving safety in daily activities, such as driving and crossing the street, by restoring situational awareness and auditory cues.

In this way, hearing aids preserve your emotional well-being, help reduce depression and loneliness, enhance physical health, strengthen the deep connections you have with loved ones—and most importantly—keep your brain fully active and stimulated as you age. 

All of these hearing aid benefits are critical for anyone trying to keep cognitive decline at bay, and to anyone in search of a better quality of life. 

Finally, everything stated above points to something important: Regular hearing tests are critical as we grow older. A hearing test will alert you to any signs of hearing loss, so you can get the treatment you need before hearing loss leads to something worse. 

How to Get a Free Telehealth Consultation and Quality Hearing Aids on a Budget!

Hearing aids can dramatically improve your quality of life—and MDHearing is on a mission to provide you with the highest quality hearing aids and care at the most affordable price. 

MDHearing's FDA-registered OTC hearing aids accommodate mild to moderate hearing loss (addressing 94% of individuals with hearing loss). Starting at just $297 a pair, all MDHearing hearing aids come with a 45-day, 100% money-back guarantee and free lifetime support from U.S.-based licensed hearing professionals.  

You can start your hearing health journey now by taking our free online hearing test. It only takes about 8 minutes and you’ll get the results immediately—along with the option to schedule a free telehealth consultation where MDHearing’s on-staff licensed hearing professionals will discuss your results and walk you through the best options for your needs.

Want to see if MDHearing hearing aids will work for you? Take our quick and easy online hearing test now.
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