Hearing loss (hypoacusis) in older people is associated with impaired physical function, frailty syndrome and disability in instrumental activities of daily living, according to a study carried out by researchers from the CIBER of Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP ) at the Autonomous University of Madrid (UAM), the Donostia University Hospital and the Ramón y Cajal University Hospital, with the collaboration of the Madrid Institute for Advanced Studies (IMDEA).
Without a doubt, hearing loss is an increasingly prevalent health condition and it is estimated that more than 460 million people worldwide suffer from it to a greater or lesser extent.
Thus, analyzing its causes and determining the associations with other diseases or disabilities in older people has been the object of this research, which has analyzed the data of 1644 participants over 65 years of age in the Spanish study ENRICA Seniors-2. The results have been published in JAMA Otolaryngology–Head & Neck Surgery.
Hearing loss is associated with a twofold increased chance of having impaired physical function, frailty and disability
According to the CIBERESP researcher at UAM Humberto Yévenes, a predoctoral student in the Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health at UAM and the first author of the study: “our results showed a high prevalence of hearing loss that was even more pronounced the more high was the frequency studied and we observed in parallel the deterioration of the instrumental activities of daily life, of physical function and the increase in frailty”.
Researchers have estimated that hearing loss is associated with a two-fold increase in the odds of having impaired physical function, frailty, and disability, although the mechanisms behind these findings remain to be determined. In this regard, UAM professor Francisco Félix Caballero, second signatory of the work, specifies that “more research is necessary on the matter, because if it is determined that hearing loss is a marker of frailty, a medical review should be considered to detect a possible fragile state.
The study finds that if hearing loss is a significant contributor to frailty, proper treatment can slow physical decline and lead to healthier aging.
Hearing loss increases the risk of falls and depression
UAM professor Esther López-García, senior author of the work, comments: “There are several potential pathways that relate hearing loss to physical function, since vestibular function is responsible for balance. In addition, the associations found may indicate that other common biological mechanisms may be damaged”. Various investigations on the subject also suggest that hearing loss increases the risk of accidental falls, social isolation, and the risk of depression, factors considered in this study as potential mediators of the association.
Although longitudinal studies are needed to confirm the results found, this study contributes to a better understanding of the association between loss of hearing function and functional capacity.
Source: CIBERESP
.
