As we age, it’s normal for hearing to change. But few people realize that hearing loss can affect much more than just communication — it can also affect cognitive and brain health.
In recent years, researchers have found a strong connection between hearing loss and dementia, suggesting that taking care of your hearing may also help protect your mind.
In recent years, researchers have found a strong connection between hearing loss and dementia, suggesting that taking care of your hearing may also help protect your mind.
What Is Dementia?
Dementia is a general term for a decline in cognitive abilities severe enough to interfere with daily life.
Common symptoms include:
Common symptoms include:
Memory loss
Difficulty finding words or following conversations
Trouble with problem-solving or planning
Confusion about time or place
Changes in mood, personality, or social behavior
According to the 2020 Lancet Commission report, hearing loss is identified as one of the leading risk factors for dementia, meaning that individuals with hearing loss are at a higher risk of developing the condition.
Social Isolation Accelerates Cognitive Decline
When hearing declines, conversations become more difficult — especially in noisy places like restaurants or family gatherings. People with hearing loss may often:
Mishear or respond inappropriately (“answering the wrong question”)
Interrupt frequently because they miss timing cues
Withdraw from conversations altogether out of frustration or embarrassment
Over time, these changes can lead to social isolation, which makes older adults more vulnerable to depression and loneliness, further reducing their motivation to engage socially.
Engaging in conversation, sharing stories, and responding emotionally all activate multiple brain networks — language, memory, emotion, and attention. When these activities decline, those neural circuits receive less stimulation and start to weaken.
A 2023 study found that socially isolated adults had reduced volume in the hippocampus and other areas involved in learning and memory.
This helps explain why hearing loss — by reducing social interaction — can have such a powerful impact on cognitive health.
This helps explain why hearing loss — by reducing social interaction — can have such a powerful impact on cognitive health.
New Research: Hearing Loss Linked to Brain Aging and Dementia Risk
A 2025 study published in November 5 edition of JAMA Network Open provides new evidence that hearing loss is deeply connected to brain health.
Researchers found that even mild hearing loss in midlife was associated with smaller brain volume and greater white matter damage, both markers of accelerated brain aging.
Researchers found that even mild hearing loss in midlife was associated with smaller brain volume and greater white matter damage, both markers of accelerated brain aging.
Over 15 years of follow-up, participants with hearing loss showed faster decline in executive function (skills like focus, planning, and multitasking) and had a 71% higher risk of developing dementia compared to those with normal hearing. The risk was even greater — nearly three times higher for individuals carrying the APOE ε4 gene, a known genetic risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease.
Protecting Hearing, Protecting the Mind
The good news? The study also found that people who used hearing aids had a lower risk of dementia than those who did not, suggesting that early detection and treatment of hearing loss may help protect the brain and slow cognitive decline.
By keeping you connected — to people, conversations, and the world — hearing aids not only restore sound, but also help maintain brain vitality and emotional well-being.
If you’ve noticed difficulty hearing in noise, turning up the TV, or feeling tired after conversations, it may be time to check your hearing.
Because protecting your ears today may also protect your mind for years to come.
Because protecting your ears today may also protect your mind for years to come.
Original study citation:
Guarnera, J., Yuen, E., & Macpherson, H. (2023). The Impact of Loneliness and Social Isolation on Cognitive Aging: A Narrative Review. Journal of Alzheimer's disease reports, 7(1), 699–714. https://doi.org/10.3233/ADR-230011
Kolo FB, Lu S, Beiser AS, et al. Hearing Loss, Brain Structure, Cognition, and Dementia Risk in the Framingham Heart Study. JAMA Netw Open. 2025;8(11):e2539209. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.39209
Livingston G, Huntley J, Sommerlad A. Dementia prevention, intervention, and care: 2020 report of the Lancet Commission. The Lancet. July 30, 2020. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(20)30367-6.
