RE: Hearing Loss Appears to be a Significant Risk Factor For Dementia

[logic]

Very interesting.
But what about disabled deaf who were deaf throughout their whole life? Do they have higher risk of dementia later in life?
Such cases would need to be assessed too. If the results are positive after peer reviewed studies then it would also have dramatic effect on healthcare of deaf.

Anyhow I, certainly, now have more reasons to adjust the volume in my headphones. I already try to limit the noise around me as much as possible (sleep with earplugs, plug my ears when emergency services pass next to me or when the noise of the moving train is too loud, stay away from speakers in music venues etc.)

Comments

[thecryptofiend]

But what about disabled deaf who were deaf throughout their whole life? Do they have higher risk of dementia later in life?

It depends on the mechanism by which it occurs (assuming there is causality in the first place). If it is due to stress or isolation one might expect that those who have never known what it was like to hear and grew up adapted to being deaf would not experience the ill effects.

Anyhow I, certainly, now have more reasons to adjust the volume in my headphones. I already try to limit the noise around me as much as possible (sleep with earplugs, plug my ears when emergency services pass next to me or when the noise of the moving train is too loud, stay away from speakers in music venues etc.)

Me too. Hearing is so important to quality of life anyway.

[logic]

"It depends on the mechanism by which it occurs (assuming there is causality in the first place). If it is due to stress or isolation one might expect that those who have never known what it was like to hear and grew up adapted to being deaf would not experience the ill effects"

So it all goes down to more studies.
And also more double blind and placebo studies with healthy individuals.