A simple hearing test could significantly reduce the risk of developing dementia in later life, a leading GP has claimed.
While research suggests up to four in ten cases of the memory-robbing condition may be preventable through lifestyle changes, hearing loss remains one of the most overlooked risk factors.
In a video shared with his 360,000 Instagram followers, NHS GP Dr Amir Khan said: ‘Hearing loss isn’t just an ageing thing—it’s a brain health thing too.’
Dementia affects around 982,000 people in the UK. Studies show that those with untreated hearing problems may be up to five times more likely to develop the condition.
ITV Lorraine and Good Morning Britain regular Dr Khan said one possible explanation is the concept of ‘cognitive load’—where the brain has to work harder to process sound, drawing resources away from other vital functions such as memory.
‘When you can’t hear well, your brain works overtime to decode sounds and speech,’ he said.
‘That extra effort pulls energy away from memory and thinking. The brain is too busy trying to hear to actually remember.’
Dr Khan compared this to how apps running in the background on a phone can slow down the device and drain its battery.
Hearing loss can also trigger brain shrinkage, Dr Khan said—another reason the condition increases the risk of dementia.
MRI scans show that people with hearing loss may experience faster brain atrophy—the loss of neurons and pathways in the brain—especially in areas involved in memory and language.
‘Use it or lose it,’ he urged his followers. ‘When the ears go quiet, the brain starts to fade too.’
Social isolation is also know to contribute to the development of the memory robbing disease.
‘Hearing loss often leads to withdrawal from conversation and social life and that’s a huge dementia risk,’ Dr Khan said.
‘Loneliness and lack of mental stimulation are like fuel for cognitive decline. If you’re not connecting, you’re not protecting your brain,’ he warned.
‘Get your hearing tested and use hearing aids if needed and stay socially and mentally active.
‘Looking after your hearing is looking after your future brain.’
US scientists, who tracked almost 3,000 elderly adults with hearing loss, found almost a third of all dementia cases could be attributed to the issue
Being unable to learn new tasks and struggling to stay focused on a single task can be a sign of dementia — which affects nearly 1million Brits and seven million Americans
Dr Khan’s warning comes as new research suggests that tackling hearing loss early could delay the onset of dementia by several years.
A major US study, which tracked nearly 3,000 older adults with hearing impairment, found that almost a third of dementia cases could be linked to hearing loss alone.
Published in the journal JAMA Otolaryngology, the research showed that those with mild hearing loss faced a 16.2 per cent risk of developing dementia — with women slightly more at risk than men.
Experts said the findings offer further evidence of a strong link between hearing and brain health, and called on health leaders to prioritise screening for those most vulnerable.
Dr Isolde Radford, at Alzheimer’s Research UK, welcomed the findings. While not involved in the study, she said: ‘Hearing loss, like dementia, isn’t an inevitable part of ageing.
‘That’s why we’re calling on the government to include a hearing check in the NHS Health Check for over-40s.
‘This simple step could help millions identify hearing loss earlier and take appropriate action, such as wearing hearing aids, that may help reduce their risk of dementia.’
Last year, a landmark study suggested almost half of Alzheimer’s cases—the most common form of dementia—could be prevented by tackling 14 lifestyle factors.
Around 900,000 Britons are currently thought to have the memory-robbing disorder. But University College London scientists estimate this will rise to 1.7 million within two decades as people live longer. It marks a 40 per cent uptick on the previous forecast in 2017
These include exercising more regularly, quitting smoking and losing weight.
Other modifiable risk factors include untreated depression, poor vision and physical inactivity.
To reduce life-long dementia risk, the commission also made 13 recommendations for both people and the government.
Researchers have since urged the government to make hearing aids available for all those with hearing loss, reducing harmful noise exposure and warding off dementia.
Experts claimed the study, published in the prestigious journal The Lancet, provided more hope than ‘ever before’ that the memory-robbing disorder that blights the lives of millions can be prevented.
Dementia is a general term for memory loss, language difficulties, issues with problem solving and other thinking abilities that interfere with daily life.
Alzheimer’s is the most common form of the disease—accounting for up to 80 per cent of cases—followed by vascular dementia which occurs due to microscopic bleeding in the brain.
Alzheimer’s is thought to be caused by a build-up of amyloid and tau in the brain, which clump together and from plaques and tangles that make it harder for the brain to work properly.
Eventually, the brain struggles to cope with this damage and dementia symptoms develop.
Alzheimer’s Research UK analysis found 74,261 people died from dementia in 2022 compared with 69,178 a year earlier, making it the country’s biggest killer.
