If the research team solves the problem of hearing loss, it can reduce loneliness and social isolation in the elderly
May 13, 2025
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This is the result of a study by Professor Nicholas Reed of Grossman Medical School at New York University in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA Internal Medicine).
According to the results of the study, the elderly were divided into a hearing treatment group and an education group on healthy aging and followed up for three years, and it was found that hearing treatment helps maintain a social connection that weakens with age. In the United States, hearing loss is known to occur frequently in two-thirds of adults over 70.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than a quarter of the elderly say they have little or no contact with others, and a third feel lonely, pointing out that such social isolation is partly related to hearing loss that hinders communication and relationship formation.
The research team recruited 977 elderly people (average age of 76.3) with untreated hearing loss, divided them into a hearing loss treatment group and a healthy aging education group, and conducted a clinical trial of the Aging and Cognitive Health Evaluation Study (ACHIEVE), which observes changes in social relations for three years.
The hearing loss treatment group received hearing aids, counseling, and customized treatment for hearing therapists, while the healthy aging education group received exercise, communication with medical staff, and support for healthy aging. Social relationships evaluated how often participants spend time with others, the size and diversity of social networks they maintain, their roles and depth, and the loneliness they feel themselves through surveys.
The study found that those who received hearing loss treatment for three years maintained one more social connection on average than those who received a healthy aging education, and maintained a deeper and higher quality bond than those who did not receive hearing loss treatment. In addition, loneliness, which was similar at the start of the study, improved slightly after 3 years in the hearing treatment group, but the score worsened slightly in the untreated group.
The research team said these findings show that hearing treatments such as hearing aids need to be guaranteed with medical insurance to resolve social isolation of the elderly.
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
