ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — A new study suggests if you have hearing loss, getting hearing aids can actually lower your risk of getting dementia, including Alzheimer's disease.
The study, published in The Lancet back in April but getting national attention now, looked at the correlation between using hearing aids and the risk of "all-cause and cause-specific" dementia among middle-aged and older-aged adults.
What researchers said they found during the study suggests up to 8 percent of dementia cases could actually be prevented by "proper hearing loss management," specifically the use of hearing aids. Because of this, researchers say these findings "might have important clinical and public health implications."
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According to the World Health Organization, more than 55 million people worldwide are living with dementia. And, each year, nearly 10 million new cases are reported.
If this study is correct in saying up to 8 percent of cases could be prevented, that's preventing about 800,000 people each year worldwide from getting dementia.
Researchers say these findings "highlight the urgent need to take measures to address hearing loss to improve cognitive decline" in older individuals.
Here in America, one in three seniors dies with Alzheimer's or another dementia, killing more people than breast cancer and prostate cancer combined, according to the Alzheimer's Association.
If further research proves hearing aid use could reduce the risk of dementia in people with hearing loss, scientists say hearing aids "could present a minimally invasive, cost-effective intervention to mitigate all or at least some of the effect of hearing loss on dementia." You can read the full study here.
Earlier this month, the Food and Drug Administration gave full approval to the IV drug Leqembi for people with mild dementia and other symptoms caused by early Alzheimer's disease. This allows Medicare and other insurance plans to begin covering the treatment.
Leqembi is the first medicine that's been convincingly shown to modestly slow Alzheimer's cognitive decline.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.