# The relationship between hearing loss and frailty in older adults at risk of cognitive decline: a cross-sectional study

## TL;DR

This study explores how hearing loss is linked to frailty in older adults with mild cognitive impairment.

## Contribution

It identifies specific hearing-related differences between frail and non-frail individuals with mild cognitive impairment.

## Key findings

- Frail individuals showed worse performance in peripheral and central hearing assessments.
- Self-reported hearing handicap scores were significantly higher in the frail group.
- No significant difference was found in high frequency hearing thresholds between the groups.

## Abstract

To investigate the association between hearing loss and frailty among a group of older community volunteers with mild cognitive impairment.

This study recruited 162 older community volunteers who have mild cognitive impairment and symmetric age-related hearing loss. Participants’ hearing ability (including peripheral hearing, hearing handicap and central auditory processing) and frailty status were assessed and analysed. An independent t-test was conducted to compare hearing performance between frail and non-frail groups.

There were statistically significant differences between frail and non-frail groups for speech frequency hearing threshold, overall central auditory processing score and hearing handicap score, but not for high frequency hearing threshold.

Frail individuals exhibit poorer performance in peripheral and central hearing assessments, as well as in self-reported hearing handicap. Future randomised controlled trials are necessary to find out if the correction of hearing loss decreases the proportion of people affected by frailty in later life.