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

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