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. 2017 Aug;65(8):1691-1697.
doi: 10.1111/jgs.14848. Epub 2017 Mar 21.

Observed Hearing Loss and Incident Dementia in a Multiethnic Cohort

Justin S Golub  1 , José A Luchsinger  2   3 , Jennifer J Manly  4   5   6 , Yaakov Stern  4   5   6 , Richard Mayeux  4   5   6 , Nicole Schupf  4   5   6
Affiliations

Observed Hearing Loss and Incident Dementia in a Multiethnic Cohort

Justin S Golub et al. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2017 Aug.

Abstract

Objectives: To determine whether observed hearing loss (OHL) is associated with incident dementia in a multiethnic population.

Design: Prospective epidemiological cohort study.

Setting: Community in northern Manhattan.

Participants: Participants in the Washington Heights-Inwood Columbia Aging Project, a longitudinal study on aging and dementia in an ethnically diverse community (n = 1,881).

Measurements: OHL was defined when the examiner observed it or according to self-reported hearing aid use. A consensus panel diagnosed dementia using standard research criteria. A Cox proportional hazards model was used to examine the relationship between OHL at baseline and risk of incident dementia (mean 7.3 ± 4.4 years of longitudinal followup, range 0.9-20 years).

Results: OHL was associated with 1.69 (95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.3-2.3, P < .010) times the risk of incident dementia, adjusting for demographic characteristics, cardiovascular risk factors, apolipoprotein E4 genotype, and stroke. When stratified according to race, the association between OHL and incident dementia was high in all groups but was statistically significant only in blacks (hazard ratio = 2.62, 95% CI = 1.5-4.5, P < .010).

Conclusion: OHL was associated with greater risk of incident dementia in a multiethnic cohort. More study is needed to determine whether HL contributes to dementia and whether treating HL can reduce the risk of dementia.

Keywords: Alzheimer's; aging; dementia; observed hearing loss; presbycusis.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Flowchart of enrollment and inclusion for the longitudinal analysis
Figure 2
Figure 2
Kaplan-Meier failure curve showing the cumulative incidence of dementia by observed hearing loss status (unadjusted for covariates). n=1881
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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