Not Just an Ear Problem: The Study Revealing the Danger of Hearing Loss

A new study published in The Lancet Healthy Longevity found a link between hearing loss and an increased risk of mortality, and between hearing aid use and a lower risk. The study was based on data from 13,851 participants from three cohort studies, as well as a separate analysis of 50,277 Norwegians.

A new study published in The Lancet Healthy Longevity on October 13, 2026, found a link between hearing loss and an increased risk of mortality. The researchers pooled data from 13,851 participants from three cohort studies in Australia, Iceland, and the United States, where hearing was measured by testing rather than self-report. It was found that the more severe the hearing loss, the higher the risk of death: 19% more with mild loss, 55% more with moderate loss, and 56% with severe loss. The risk of death from cardiovascular disease also increased. A key finding: hearing aid use was associated with a 9% reduction in all-cause mortality and a 15% reduction in cardiovascular mortality, compared to people with similar hearing loss who did not use a device. Similar findings were found among 50,277 Norwegians in a separate study. However, the article emphasizes that this is an observational study that does not prove causality, and that the link may be due to the fact that people who use hearing aids take better care of their health. The article also notes that the Lancet Commission on Dementia Prevention attributes about 7% of dementia cases worldwide to untreated hearing loss, and that a 2023 controlled trial found that intervention with hearing aids slowed cognitive decline by 48% among high-risk participants.