A randomized trial published Sept. 28 in JAMA Neurology found that giving hearing aids to older adults with mild cognitive impairment and hearing loss did not significantly reduce the rate of dementia-level impairment after 24 months. The study was led by researchers at Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, part of Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine in China.
For adult children who have spent months urging a parent to get a hearing test, that result may sound like a reason to drop the subject. The broader evidence says otherwise. The trial asked whether hearing aids prevent dementia in people whose memory is already slipping. It was not designed to answer whether they help someone hear family at dinner, follow a doctor's instructions, or stay socially connected.
