United States: The hearing capacity of older individuals can indicate their heart health status, according to recent research findings.
The findings of researchers show that individuals facing hearing difficulties face a higher risk of developing heart failure which appeared in the journal Heart on April 8th, as reported by HealthDay.
A research team established that the severity of hearing loss determines increased risk for heart failure development.
The mental strain experienced by hearing loss emerges as the main factor linking it to this statistical outcome according to research findings.
Mental Strain Ties the Two Together
“Because hearing problems can lead to difficulties in speech comprehension and poor engagement in social activities, people with hearing impairment are more likely to experience social isolation, psychological distress, anxiety, and depression than people without hearing impairment,” wrote the research team led by Dr. Xianhui Qin, a professor at Southern Medical University in Guangdong, China.
Research indicates that coronary heart issues might result in hearing impairment which contributes to this correspondence.
Research gathered data from more than 164,000 participants in the UK Biobank which operates as a long-term health research program. Heart failure occurred in less than 4,400 participants despite hearing aid usage by 4,400 of the total 164,000 subjects.
The participants underwent an average monitoring period of 11 years which revealed that 3% of them developed heart failure based on observed data.
The research revealed that people with mild hearing loss experienced a 15% growth in heart failure risk rates but heart failure risks reached 28% for individuals with extensive hearing loss. Individuals who employed hearing aids elevated their chance of heart failure to 26%, according to researchers.
“Of note, both the participants who used hearing aids and those with poor hearing had a similarly significant increase in the risk of incident [heart failure], suggesting that while hearing aids can improve auditory function, they may not address the underlying vascular issues that contribute to the risk of [heart failure],” researchers wrote.
Research indicates psychological distress among those with hearing loss causes the increased heart failure risk by 17%, according to findings.
According to researchers, hormonal responses known as “fight-or-flight” appear when distress develops, which accelerates arterial hardening and increases heart stress.
The researchers pointed out that heart health and hearing have direct connections.
“The rich distribution of capillaries in the … cochlea and the high metabolic demand of the inner ear may render these regions more sensitive to systemic vascular disorders rather than just local circulatory issues,” researchers wrote.
“Therefore, hearing impairment may reflect vascular health and serve as an early and sensitive predictor of cardiovascular disease, including [heart failure],” the team added.
Doctors may incorporate hearing tests as an additional screening tool for heart problem prediction according to the study investigators, as reported by HealthDay.
People with hearing impairment should get additional therapy and counseling for improved heart health according to the experts.