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Share on Pinterest A large clinical trial found that hearing aids slowed cognitive decline by 48% among subjects with a higher risk of dementia. Maica/Getty Images The largest clinical trial to date investigated the impact that hearing aids had on reducing cognitive decline. Researchers found a 48% reduction in risk among participants at a higher risk of developing dementia . The results add to a growing body of research studying the link between hearing loss and cognitive decline. The National Institute on Aging reports that every three seconds, someone in the world develops dementia — a collection of diseases affecting the brain, causing cognitive decline and memory loss. The most common type of dementia is Alzheimer’s disease(AD). There are various reasons a person may get dementia, and there are also a number of risk factors for dementia. One of those is hearing loss. Previous studies have correlated hearing loss with increased dementia risk. Now, researchers from the Aging and ...

Share on Pinterest Scientists have identified new proteins linked to the risk of developing dementia 25 years later. Lucas Ottone/Stocksy Dementia is not an inevitable consequence of aging, but increasing numbers of people are affected by it, with Alzheimer’s disease being the most common form. Early diagnosis and intervention benefit people with dementia and their carers, so the search is on for early markers of the disease. Now, a long-term study in middle-aged people has identified 32 proteins that are linked to later development of Alzheimer’s. The researchers suggest that these proteins should be further studied as possible predictors of Alzheimer’s. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, more than 6 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s disease, the most common form of dementia. The World Health Organization estimates that 70% of the 55 million dementia cases worldwide are due to Alzheimer’s. Treatments can help relieve symptoms of Alzheimer’s but there is, as yet, no...