Hearing loss weakens memory

A new study shows that people with hearing loss lose memory faster than people with normal hearing ability, according to the Daily Mail.

That is the result of research by scientists from Johns Hopkins University (USA). Study subjects are 2,000 people, from 75 to 84 years old.

Hearing loss affects memory - (Photo: Shutterstock)

All of them were tested for hearing ability, including listening to soft sounds and loud sounds in soundproofing rooms.

People with hearing loss are when they can only hear sounds greater than 25 decibels (sound measurement unit).

Subjects also tested brain function by performing memory and thinking tests.

No subjects suffered from mental health decline at the time of the 2001 study.

After 6 years, the team found that those with hearing loss lost 40% faster memory loss than those with normal hearing ability.

Dr Frank Lin, who led the study, said hearing loss makes the brain use more energy to process sounds, affecting memory and thinking ability.

The study was published in JAMA Internal Medicine.