Hearing aids before age 70 associated with 61% lower dementia risk, study finds

Adults with hearing loss who reported wearing hearing aids before age 70 had a 61% lower risk of developing "incident all‑cause dementia," according to a new analysis published in JAMA Neurology.

Researchers from the University of Texas, the University of Pittsburgh, Boston University and other institutions analyzed data from 2,953 participants in a Framingham cohort and compared dementia incidence among people with untreated hearing loss, those with hearing loss who used hearing aids, and those without hearing loss. The investigators found that participants with hearing loss who wore hearing aids before turning 70 had more than a halved risk of later developing dementia compared with people who had hearing loss but did not use hearing devices. The authors wrote that individuals under 70 without hearing loss had a 29% lower risk for dementia compared with those who had untreated hearing loss; the same benefit was not observed among participants who were 70 or older at the time of hearing tests.

The study examined long‑term outcomes tied to hearing status and self‑reported use of hearing devices. By focusing on age at treatment, the analysis highlights a potential window in midlife when addressing hearing impairment could have the greatest association with later cognitive health. The investigators described the association as a reduction in risk for "incident all‑cause dementia," a term that encompasses dementia from any underlying cause.

Hearing loss has been identified previously as a modifiable factor associated with cognitive decline and dementia risk in observational research. Public health experts have emphasized that hearing impairment is both common and often undertreated, and that uptake of hearing aids remains low among eligible people. The new findings add to that body of evidence by suggesting the timing of intervention—before age 70—may matter for dementia risk.

The authors acknowledged differences in outcomes by age group, reporting a lack of observed benefit in participants who were 70 or older when tested for hearing. The study does not prove causation; it reports associations observed in the cohort analysis published in JAMA Neurology. Further research, including randomized trials and studies examining mechanisms, will be needed to determine whether and how early treatment of hearing loss might directly reduce dementia incidence.

Clinicians and researchers said the findings underscore the importance of hearing screening and timely management of hearing loss as part of broader strategies to support brain health. Given the aging of populations globally and the growing burden of dementia, identifying effective, scalable interventions remains a public health priority.