Hearing loss increased hospitalization risk among adults aged 65 and older, but use of a hearing aid was not associated with a decrease in risk for those with hearing loss, according to a cross-sectional study published in JAMA Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery. Uchechukwu Megwalu, MD, MPH, and colleagues examined data from NHANES on 2,060 adults aged 65 and older (mean age, 73.9; 50.7% male); 42.5% had normal hearing, 31.7% had mild hearing loss, 21.1% had moderate hearing loss, and 4.7% had severe to profound hearing loss. Multivariable analysis showed that moderate and severe hearing loss were associated with hospitalization (moderate hearing loss: OR, 1.50; severe hearing loss: OR, 1.71). Among 1,185 respondents with at least mild hearing loss, 16.9% reported using a hearing aid. A propensity score-matched analysis demonstrated that hearing aid use was not associated with hospitalization (OR, 1.17), including among respondents with moderate or severe hearing loss (OR, 1.17). “The association of hearing aid use with hospitalization should be evaluated in larger prospective studies with reliable data on the frequency of hearing aid use,” Dr. Megwalu and colleagues wrote.
