Reduce Risk of Death by 27% with Hearing Treatment

Reduce Risk of Death by 27% with Hearing Treatment

Reduce Risk of Death by 27% with Hearing Treatment

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Treating Hearing Can Reduce This Death Risk by 27%, New Study Says

Treating hearing loss may do more than help you follow conversations and stay socially connected—it could also help protect your life, new research suggests.

A large clinical trial has found that addressing hearing loss could significantly lower your odds of fall injury—a danger that claims more than 680,000 lives around the world every year, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

The study, conducted by an interdisciplinary group of health researchers and published in June 2025 in the journal The Lancet Public Health, followed nearly 1,000 adults ages 70 to 84 with untreated hearing loss for three years. Participants were randomly assigned to one of two groups: One received a full hearing intervention, including hearing aids and counseling from audiology professionals, while the other took part in general health education classes. Researchers then tracked how often participants reported falling each year.

The results suggest that tending to your hearing could have a meaningful impact on your broader safety. Older adults who received hearing treatment experienced about 27% fewer falls over the three-year period compared with those in the education-only group. The benefit was consistent across different backgrounds and health histories.

Falls are a leading cause of serious injury among older adults, and they’re increasingly deadly. A 2025 article published in the American Medical Association’s journal, JAMA Health Forum, found that fall injuries among seniors have tripled over the past 30 years. Fall-related death rates nearly quadrupled during that same period.

The study points to several ways that hearing might boost balance and, ultimately, survival:

  • The inner ear plays a role in both hearing and balance, so damage can affect both systems.
  • Reduced hearing can also limit awareness of environmental cues—like footsteps, traffic, or warning sounds—that help people stay safe and oriented to their surroundings.
  • Straining to hear may tax the brain, leaving fewer mental resources available for balance and movement.
  • Hearing loss may also contribute to frailty, “which could potentially mediate the association of hearing loss with increased risk of falls,” the study states.

“Importantly, the latter three mechanisms could potentially be modifiable with hearing intervention,” the researchers report.

Falls often trigger a cascade of health problems, including fractures, hospital stays, loss of independence, and higher risk of death. By lowering fall risk, hearing treatment may indirectly reduce those downstream dangers.

So, while hearing aids aren’t a guarantee against falling, this study adds strong evidence that treating hearing loss is about more than comfort or communication. It’s a practical, evidence-based step that may help older adults stay upright, independent, and alive for longer.

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The post Treating Hearing Can Reduce This Death Risk by 27%, New Study Says appeared first on The Healthy.

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Hi, I’m Ciro Irmici, an entrepreneur and investor from San Severo, Italy. My passions range from investments (stocks, crypto, dividends) to automation and creating businesses that help people. I believe in building things that matter, like a gym for all and a theatre for people to enjoy music. I love learning and sharing what I learn: how to create eBooks, audiobooks, and other digital products. I’m also deeply into fitness (gym, running, jump rope) and creativity (painting, music, design). My ultimate goal? To reach financial freedom and help others achieve their dreams.

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