Untreated hearing loss has been associated with cognitive decline and dementia in several observational studies. A recent analysis of participants in the Framingham Heart Study examined whether the timing of hearing-aid use was also associated with later dementia diagnoses.
The study reported a large difference for people who began using hearing aids before age 70. That result is worth investigating, but it is not proof that the devices reduced an individual’s lifetime risk by a fixed percentage.
This article is for general information and does not provide medical or mental-health advice.
What the study found
The published study available through PubMed Central compared dementia incidence across hearing-loss and hearing-aid groups over long-term follow-up. Earlier hearing-aid use was associated with lower incidence in the adjusted analysis.
The frequently quoted 61 percent figure is a relative association between groups in this cohort. It is not an absolute reduction that can be applied to every person with hearing loss.
Why causation remains unsettled
People who obtain and consistently use hearing aids may differ from non-users in healthcare access, income, social activity, underlying health, and other ways that are difficult to measure fully. The study was observational and could not randomly assign long-term hearing-aid use.
Hearing care can improve communication and daily functioning for many people. Decisions about testing or devices should be based on an individual’s hearing and clinical circumstances, not on a headline promising dementia prevention.
Editor’s note: This article was substantially revised on September 14, 2026, to describe the study as observational and remove unsupported dementia-prevention language.
