Hearing impairments increase the risk of cognitive impairment in older Chilean adults
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Keywords
Ageing, mental status and dementia tests, hearing impairment, cognitive dysfunction
Abstract
Introduction: Hearing loss has been associated with an accelerated cognitive im- pairment during ageing. However, this association has not been investigated in older Chilean adults. Aim: To investigate the association between hearing impairment and cognitive impairment, using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE, abridged version), in the Chilean population. Material and methods: 1,384 older adults aged > 60 years, from 2009-2010 Chi- lean national health survey, were included. <13 points in the MMSE were considered suspicion of cognitive impairment. Hearing impairment was determined through a ques- tionnaire including 3 domains. The association between cognitive and hearing loss was investigated using logistic regression. Results: An association between MMSE and each hearing disabilities studied was identified. As hearing impairments increased, the odd for cognitive impairment incre- mented by 59% (OR: 1.59 [95% IC: 1.38 a 1.82], p <0.0001). Conclusion: Hearing loss is a risk factor to develop cognitive impairment, which could translate into a high risk of dementia. Public politics implementation, focused in an early screening, could be an effective approach to prevent the complications associated with this hearing loss in older adults.
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