Hearing Loss Is Associated with Worse Physical Functioning

U.S. researchers examined a known general association of hearing impairment with worse physical function by focusing on walking speed and longitudinal decline in a prospective cohort study of 3000 community-dwelling adults (mean age, 79) who were followed for as long as 9 years. A third of patients had normal hearing (as measured by pure tone audiometry), 40% showed mild hearing loss, 23% had moderate loss, and 4% had severe loss at baseline.

In adjusted cross-sectional analyses of a composite physical performance measure (i.e., balance, gait speed, and standing from a seated position), assessed at the same time as audiography, each 10 decibels of hearing loss was associated significantly with worse physical performance. Mean walking distanc…