Approximately 40 percent of people 65 and older experience some form of memory loss according to the Alzheimer Society Canada. Some seniors might assume they can’t do anything about this frightening phenomena. Fortunately, recent research suggests this misconception couldn’t be further from the truth. Staving off age-related memory loss might be as simple as fixing two other losses first.
The number of people in the United States with poor vision, frequently undetected by older adults, is expected to double by the year 2050 according to the New York Times. NPR reports approximately one out of every 10 adults over 40-years-old will experience some hearing loss. Interestingly, an increasing number of research studies have linked compromised vision and hearing to a decrease in cognitive abilities.
A research study published in JAMA Ophthalmology in August of 2017 with two samples of 3,000 and 30,000 older Americans respectively discovered poor vision was associated with failing cognition. The two data sets utilized different measurements of cognitive abilities such as planning, orientation, and memory. Dr. Suzann Pershing, ophthalmologist at Stanford University School of Medicine and lead author of the study, said, “This is not necessarily a one-way relationship. If you improve the vision of people with cognitive impairment, they can function better.”
An earlier study involving 625 seniors completed by Dr. Mary A.M. Rogers and Kenneth M. Langa at the University of Michigan found people with compromised vision had a 63 percent increased risk of suffering from dementia over a time-frame of eight and a half years. Participants who didn’t visit an ophthalmologist were an astounding five times more probable to experience cognitive decline and nine and a half times more likely to get Alzheimer’s disease.
Often, your vision worsens as you age due to cataracts. Promising recent research showed fixing your vision with cataract surgery can also diminish cognitive decline. A study published in the journal PLOS One in October of 2018 involved participants being given periodic assessments. Results revealed that the rate of cognitive decline among participants slowed by 50 percent after they underwent cataract surgery.
After fixing their vision, seniors need to turn their attention to solving hearing problems. A research study of 1,984 seniors directed by Dr. Frank R. Lin, otolaryngologist at the Johns Hopkins Center on Aging and Health, discovered that participants who initially suffered from hearing loss were 24 percent more likely than their peers with normal hearing to suffer cognitive regression within six years. They had more problems with brain functions such as memory and thinking.
The participants with compromised hearing developed these issues an average of three years faster than others their age with normal hearing. Dr. Lin stated, “Older adults with hearing loss face an increased risk of dementia even when you control for diseases like diabetes and high blood pressure.”
Thankfully, addressing hearing problems seems to keep cognitive decline at bay. A research study tracked 2,000 seniors in the United States both before and after they began utilizing hearing aids. The elderly adults were participants in a broad national study referred to as the Health and Retirement Study. Asri Maharani, researcher at the University of Manchester in the department of neuroscience and experimental psychology and an author of the paper, stated, “We found the rate of cognitive decline was slowed by 75 percent following the adoption of hearing aids.” Maharani dubbed the findings “a surprising result.”
Two barriers have typically prevented people from wearing hearing aids, vanity and cost. Some hearing sufferers feel others will label them as “old” if they see their hearing aids. Others worry about their steep price tag, up to $5,000 a pair, which is often not covered by health insurance.
Fortunately, technological advancements are making hearing aids more discreet than ever before. Some types are barely noticeable nowadays. Even better, according to the New York Times, companies like Samsung and Apple are expected to soon market hearing devices that may only cost from $50 to $300 rather than thousands.
Due to the enhanced risk of experiencing cognitive decline with decreases in vision and hearing, getting regular eye and ear screenings is crucial. The American Academy of Ophthalmology recommends getting a comprehensive eye exam every two to four years for those aged 40 to 54 with no risk factors for or signs of vision loss. Those aged 55 to 64 should be screened every one to three years while people aged 65 and older should have their eyes tested every year or two. The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association suggests you should have at least one hearing test during each decade through age 50. After celebrating your 50th birthday, you should get your ears screened every three years.
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