Although the discourse linking hearing loss and dementia is now anchored in people’s minds, there are still doubts among scientists. The most cited study was ultimately invalidated, without this being reported in the press. Professor Kevin Munro, a renowned audiologist in the UK, is concerned that, without strong evidence, messages linking hearing loss to dementia may do more harm than good to hearing care professionals. industry, research and patients.
Peter Wix and Corinne Couté, published on December 9, 2024
Across all medical sectors, it is not uncommon for statistical correlations – called links or associations – to be presented as evidence that treating one disease will affect another. The link between hearing loss and dementia has been established on this same principle. However, it is difficult to escape the impression that the machine was quickly set in motion at the first hint of such a link, whether among the manufacturers or in the brands: even if, at the beginning, it was reminded that the studies had found no mechanism or proof of causality between the two phenomena, this quickly seemed to no longer matter, this plausibility solidified, until it became a collective conviction. CNN headlined, in July 2023: “Hearing aids could reduce your risk of dementia by half, according to a study”, a statement widely repeated on social networks by professionals…
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