Association between hearing loss and cognitive decline in the elderly: A systematic review with meta-analysis study.

Débora Conceição Santos de Oliveira, Isaac Suzart Gomes-Filho, Edna Maria Araújo, Michelle de Santana Xavier Ramos, Julita Maria Freitas Coelho, Adan Araújo Marques, Alexandre Marcelo Hintz, Dóris Firmino Rabelo, Ana Claudia Morais Godoy Figueiredo, Simone Seixas da Cruz

Journal: PloS one 2023;18(11):e0288099

PMID: 37943811

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Plain Language Summary

Hearing loss among the elderly reduces quality of life, due to a decrease in daily activities and sociability, and may generate processes of loss of autonomy, social isolation, depression, and dementia resulting from a cognitive decline that seems to accompany it. The aim of this study was to evaluate the scientific evidence on the association between hearing loss in the elderly and cognitive decline, as well as whether race/colour influences this relationship. This study was a systematic review and meta-analysis of eighteen studies. Results showed that there was an association between hearing loss and cognitive decline in the elderly, regardless of race/colour. For black individuals, the magnitude of the association increased. Authors concluded that future systematic reviews assess the possible factors that may influence cognitive decline, such as the type of hearing loss, mixed and sensorineural, as well as its laterality, that is, bilateral or predominantly unilateral.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE

Hearing loss has been pointed out as a potential predictor for cognitive decline. This study conducted a systematic review to evaluate the scientific evidence on the association between hearing loss in the elderly and cognitive decline, as well as whether race/color influences this relationship.

METHOD

The search for studies was performed in the following electronic databases: MedLine/PubMed Web of Science, Scopus and Virtual Health Library, and MedRkiv up to August 2022. Studies with epidemiological designs that assess the association between hearing loss and cognitive decline in the elderly were eligible for inclusion. Three independent reviewers performed the selection, data extraction and evaluation of the quality of the studies using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. A meta-analysis using a random effects model estimated the global association measurements (Beta coefficient: β) and their 95% confidence intervals (95%CI), and the Higgins and Thompson indicator (I2) was also estimated to assess statistical heterogeneity among the studies.

RESULTS

5,207 records were identified in the database surveys, of which only 18 were eligible studies, totaling 19,551 individuals. Hearing loss was associated with cognitive decline in the elderly, with statistical significance: β = -0.13; 95%CI = -0.23 to -0.04; I2 = 98.70%). For black individuals, the magnitude of the association increased: β = -0.64; 95%CI = -3.36 to 2.07; I2 = 95.65%, but it was not statistically significant.

CONCLUSION

The findings of this systematic review showed the existence of a significant relationship between hearing loss and cognitive decline in the elderly, as well as signaling that among black individuals the magnitude of the association can be increased.

Copyright: © 2023 Conceição Santos de Oliveira et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

Address: Health Sciences Center, Federal University of Recôncavo of Bahia, Bahia, Brazil.; Department of Health, Feira de Santana State University, Bahia, Brazil.; Federal Institute of Education of Bahia-Lauro de Freitas, Bahia, Brazil.; Epidemiology Surveillance, Federal District Health State Secretariat, Brasilia, Distrito Federal, Brazil.

DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0288099