Can You Hear Me Now? Hearing Loss Linked to Heart Issues

A new study suggests that hearing loss can increase your risk of heart failure.

Researchers say they've found that those with mild hearing issues had a 15-percent increased risk of heart failure, while those with poor hearing had a 28-percent increased risk of heart failure.

Experts believe the isolation caused by hearing issues may lead to heart problems.

They say it's also possible that heart issues may affect blood vessels in the ear.

According to the study as cited on heart.bml.com, "Poor hearing ability is associated with an increased risk of incident HF, with psychological distress playing a notable mediating role. These findings suggest that hearing health and psychological well-being should be considered in cardiovascular risk assessment and prevention strategies."

In other words, those that don't hear well, whether by association or causality, tend to have a higher incidence of heart attacks.

Why?

Social Isolation

Some experts blame social isolation due to hearing loss. SRT levels were significantly positively associated with social isolation, psychological distress, and neuroticism among those who didn't wear hearing aids. And these factors had a substantial role in the observed associations in participants who didn't wear hearing aids, accounting for 3%, 17%, and 3%, respectively, of the heightened risk of heart failure development."

Blood Flow Around the Ears

"The rich distribution of capillaries in the…cochlea and the high metabolic demand of the inner ear may render these regions more sensitive to systemic vascular disorders rather than just local circulatory issues," they suggest.

Bottom Line

But the ultimate thing to be learned from this study is summed up by our friends at news-medical.net: "The findings highlight the importance of integrating hearing health assessments into broader cardiovascular risk evaluation frameworks, they conclude. And strengthening psychological intervention in people with hearing impairment may be key to curbing the risk of heart failure, they suggest."