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Even mild hearing loss may

Real Talk: Untreated Hearing Loss Is a Leading Risk
for Dementia

A round icon with a head in profile. A bunch of swirling lines are in his skull representing dementia.

Hearing loss doesn’t just affect your ears or your ability to have a conversation. Landmark research at Johns Hopkins and the University of California (UC), San Diego, has shown untreated hearing loss can increase your risk of developing dementia and actually cause physical changes in your brain.2,3

Researchers have found untreated hearing loss is one of the largest potentially modifiable risk factor for developing dementia.1

It's a Bit Alarming

A landmark 12-year John Hopkins study revealed:2

Four icons saying the following: 1. Greater Risk of developing dementia. 2. Increased Odds of having a fall. 3. More money spend on health care. 4. Greater Chance of a relationship breakdown.

While the exact mechanisms are still being studied, in news interviews the researchers shared strong theories:

Does Treatment for Hearing Loss Help?

  • Long-term use of hearing aids has been shown to reduce the risk of cognitive decline to equal that of people with normal hearing.6
  • For people at risk, wearing hearing aids has been shown to reduce the rate of cognitive decline by almost 50% over a three-year period.7
  • Six months after starting with hearing aids, adults with mild-to-moderate hearing loss showed healthier brain activity in hearing and learning areas of the brain.6
Photograph of a woman in her early fifties on a dark blue background. She's facing you with a look of interest on her face.

What Have You Got to Lose?

Maybe a Lot.

A simple hearing screening could protect your mind, your independence, and your future.

Book a FREE, no obligation hearing screening today.*

The worse your hearing gets, the greater your risk.

BOOK APPOINTMENT

Want to learn more about other risks of untreated hearing loss?

Check out these pages:

Odds of Having a Fall

Increased Health Care Spending

Relationship Breakdown

Sources

1. Livingston G, Huntley J, Sommerlad A, et al. “Dementia prevention, intervention, and care: 2020 report of the Lancet Commission.” The Lancet. 2020. 2. Lin FR, Metter EJ, O'Brien RJ, Resnick SM, Zonderman AB, Ferrucci L. Hearing loss and incident dementia. Arch Neurol. 2011 Feb. 3. McEvoy LK, Bergstrom J, Hagler DJ, Wing D, Reas ET. Elevated Pure Tone Thresholds Are Associated with Altered Microstructure in Cortical Areas Related to Auditory Processing and Attentional Allocation. J Alzheimers Dis. 2023. 4. Amieva H, Ouvrard C, Giulioli C, Meillon C, Rullier L, Dartigues JF. Self-Reported Hearing Loss, Hearing Aids, and Cognitive Decline in Elderly Adults: A 25-Year Study. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2015. 5. Lin FR, Pike JR, Albert MS, et al. Hearing intervention versus health education control to reduce cognitive decline in older adults with hearing loss in the USA (ACHIEVE): a multicentre, randomised controlled trial. Lancet. 2023 6. Glick HA, Sharma A. Cortical Neuroplasticity and Cognitive Function in Early-Stage, Mild-Moderate Hearing Loss: Evidence of Neurocognitive Benefit From Hearing Aid Use. Front Neurosci. 2020 Feb 18. 7.Fang, M., Hu, J., Weiss, J. et al. Lifetime risk and projected burden of dementia. Nat Med 31, 772–776 (2025). Hearing devices are subject to state and federal laws regarding conditions of sale, including, without limitation, in-person initial visits, direct observations, and testing/medical screenings (subject to exceptions). Terms, conditions and product features may vary based on location and product type. Free hearing screening available at participating locations only. *Some restrictions and limitations may apply (including, without limitation, additional terms and conditions found at https://www.beltone.com/en-us, participating locations, and applicable professional service fees or other charges in connection with tests, evaluations, and/or screenings). Benefits of hearing instruments may vary by type and degree of hearing loss, noise environment, accuracy of hearing screening and proper fit. © 2025 GN Hearing A/S. All rights reserved. Beltone is a trademark of GN Hearing A/S.

BOOK APPOINTMENT

Hearing loss doesn’t just affect your ears or your ability to have a conversation. Landmark research at Johns Hopkins and the University of California (UC), San Diego, has shown untreated hearing loss can increase your risk of developing dementia and actually cause physical changes in your brain.2,3

Researchers have found untreated hearing loss is one of  the largest potentially modifiable risk factor for developing dementia.1

Dark blue banner with a gray-haired man sitting on a stool. He's leaning toward you with a look of interest on his face. The banner includes a rectangle that encloses the words Real Talk. The headline is Even mild hearing may double your risk of dementia.

It's a Bit Alarming 


A landmark 12-year Johns Hopkins study revealed:2

A large square icon that includes the text severe hearing loss is 5X the risk.
Understand the 
Risks of Ignoring 
Your Hearing
Loss


It’s hard to make a good 
decision about getting treatment for your hearing loss if you don’t have the whole picture.

  • Long-term use of hearing aids has been shown to reduce the risk of cognitive decline to equal that of people with normal hearing.6
  • For people at risk, wearing hearing aids has been shown to reduce the rate of cognitive decline by almost 50% over a three-year period.7
  • Six months after starting with hearing aids, adults with mild-to-moderate hearing loss showed healthier brain activity in hearing and learning areas of the brain.6

What Have You

Got to Lose?

Maybe a Lot.

A simple hearing screening could protect your mind, your independence, and your future.

Book a FREE, no obligation hearing screening today.* The worse your hearing gets, the greater your risk.

BOOK APPOINTMENT

Want to learn more about other risks of untreated hearing loss?Check out these pages:

Odds of Having a Fall

Increased Health Care Spending

Relationship Breakdown

Photograph of a woman in her early fifties on a dark blue background. She's facing you with a look of interest on her face.

Sources

1. Livingston G, Huntley J, Sommerlad A, et al. “Dementia prevention, intervention, and care: 2020 report of the Lancet Commission.” The Lancet. 2020. 2. Lin FR, Metter EJ, O'Brien RJ, Resnick SM, Zonderman AB, Ferrucci L. Hearing loss and incident dementia. Arch Neurol. 2011 Feb. 3. McEvoy LK, Bergstrom J, Hagler DJ, Wing D, Reas ET. Elevated Pure Tone Thresholds Are Associated with Altered Microstructure in Cortical Areas Related to Auditory Processing and Attentional Allocation. J Alzheimers Dis. 2023. 4. Amieva H, Ouvrard C, Giulioli C, Meillon C, Rullier L, Dartigues JF. Self-Reported Hearing Loss, Hearing Aids, and Cognitive Decline in Elderly Adults: A 25-Year Study. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2015. 5. Lin FR, Pike JR, Albert MS, et al. Hearing intervention versus health education control to reduce cognitive decline in older adults with hearing loss in the USA (ACHIEVE): a multicentre, randomised  controlled  trial.  Lancet.  2023 
6. Glick HA, Sharma A. Cortical Neuroplasticity and Cognitive Function in Early-Stage, Mild-Moderate Hearing Loss: Evidence of Neurocognitive Benefit From Hearing Aid Use. Front Neurosci. 2020 Feb 18. 7.Fang, M., Hu, J., Weiss, J. et al. Lifetime risk and projected burden of dementia. Nat Med 31, 772–776 (2025). Hearing devices are subject to state and federal laws regarding conditions of sale, including, without limitation, in-person initial visits, direct observations, and testing/medical screenings (subject to exceptions). Terms, conditions and product features may vary based on location and product type. Free hearing screening available at participating locations only. *Some restrictions and limitations may apply (including, without limitation, additional terms and conditions found at https://www.beltone.com/en-us, participating locations, and applicable professional service fees or other charges in connection with tests, evaluations, and/or screenings). Benefits of hearing instruments may vary by type and degree of hearing loss, noise environment, accuracy of hearing screening and proper fit. © 2025 GN Hearing A/S. All rights reserved. Beltone is a trademark of GN Hearing A/S.

Even mild

hearing loss

 double your risk of dementia 

 may double  

What’s the Connection?
  • Your brain works harder. When your hearing is impaired, your brain is thought to divert resources to decoding sound—leaving less energy for memory and thinking.
  • You withdraw from others. Hearing loss often leads to social isolation, another known risk factor for dementia.
  • Your brain may shrink. When fewer sounds reach your brain, the regions responsible for processing sound may waste away—causing structural changes that may reduce brain resilience.

In the UC San Diego study, advanced MRI scans showed physical changes in the brains of those with hearing loss. These changes affected areas involved in processing sound and managing focus—both crucial to cognitive health.3

According to the study’s lead researcher Dr. Linda McEvoy, trying to understand muffled or missing sounds forces your brain into overdrive. That extra strain may trigger the very changes that raise dementia risk.

your risk of

dementia

A large square icon that includes the text mild hearing loss is 2X the risk.
A large square icon that includes the text moderate hearing loss is 3X the risk.

It's a Bit Alarming

A landmark 12-year Johns Hopkins study revealed:2

Four icons saying the following: 1. Greater Risk of developing dementia. 2. Increased Odds of having a fall. 3. More money spend on health care. 4. Greater Chance of a relationship breakdown.

It's a Bit Alarming 


A landmark 12-year Johns Hopkins study revealed:2

An icon saying more money spent on health care.
A large square icon that includes the text mild hearing loss is 2X the risk.
A large square icon that includes the text moderate hearing loss is 3X the risk.
A large square icon that includes the text severe hearing loss is 5X the risk.

While the exact mechanisms are still being studied, in news interviews the researchers shared strong theories:

What’s the 
Connection?
  • Your brain works harder. When your hearing is impaired, your brain is thought to divert resources to decoding sound—leaving less energy for memory and thinking.
  • You withdraw from others. Hearing loss often leads to social isolation, another known risk factor for dementia.
  • Your brain may shrink. When fewer sounds reach your brain, the regions responsible for processing sound may waste away—causing structural changes that may reduce brain resilience.

In the UC San Diego study, advanced MRI scans showed physical changes in the brains of those with hearing loss. These changes affected areas involved in processing sound and managing focus—both crucial to cognitive health.3

According to the study’s lead researcher Dr. Linda McEvoy, trying to understand muffled or missing sounds forces your brain into overdrive. That extra strain may trigger the very changes that raise dementia risk.

While the exact mechanisms are still being studied, in news interviews the researchers shared strong theories:

Does Treatment
for Hearing Loss 
Help?
Dark blue banner with a gray-haired man sitting on a stool. He's leaning toward you with a look of interest on his face. The banner includes a rectangle that encloses the words Real Talk. The headline is Even mild hearing may double your risk of dementia.

Real Talk:

Untreated Hearing

Loss Is a Leading

Risk for Dementia