A team of researchers at Duke University School of Medicine used prospective cohort data from a longitudinal study to investigate the association between hearing loss and heart failure outcomes. They discovered that adults with hearing loss who did not use hearing aids had significantly more hospitalizations than adults without hearing loss or those who used hearing aids. Results were published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine.
“This is the first large-scale, nationally representative study to show that unaided hearing loss among adults with heart failure is associated with a significantly increased rate of hospitalizations compared to those with normal hearing or those using hearing aids,” said lead author Jessica West, PhD, assistant professor of Head and Neck Surgery & Communication Sciences.
Patients with heart failure generally have several different treatment plans to follow, including monitoring their weight, modifying their diet, taking prescriptions, and identifying early warning signs of health change or deterioration.
Hearing loss can dramatically interfere with these treatment plans. “Patients with hearing loss may miss critical information about their health and treatment plans and options,” West said, “which can affect adherence to those treatment plans.” Patients who are unable to follow their care plans are at an increased risk of hospitalizations.
Health care providers, too, rely on their patients’ ability to communicate symptoms. When a patient has hearing loss, health care providers may not be able to gather all of the information they need to make a proper diagnosis.
“Our study shows that encouraging hearing aid use may reduce hospital admissions among heart failure patients,” West said. “This could translate into lower costs and improved outcomes.”