MedPage Today (4/17, George) reports a study suggests “hearing loss may play a bigger role in dementia than previously thought.” Researchers observed that in a “sample of nearly 3,000 older adults, up to 32% of incident dementia over 8 years could be attributable to any degree of audiometric hearing loss.” They said that “population attributable fractions (PAFs) were similar by hearing loss severity. For mild hearing loss, the PAF was 16.2%. For moderate or greater hearing loss, it was 16.6%.” Furthermore, “PAFs were larger in people ages 75 and older (30.5%), women (30.8%), and white participants (27.8%) compared with those younger than age 75, male, and Black.” The researchers highlighted that the “PAF of 32% in this study was substantially higher than other estimates. The 2020 Lancet Commission on Dementia Prevention reported a global PAF of 8.2% for hearing loss, for example.” The study was published in JAMA Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery. (SOURCE: APA Headlines, April 18, 2025)