WORLD OF MEDICINE

HEARING AIDS MAY HELP PEOPLE LIVE LONGER

Hearing aids can help reduce mortality risk, according to a study in The Lancet Healthy Longevity journal. One reason is that hearing aids can help to prevent or slow the progression of dementia.

The researchers said there was nearly a 25 per cent difference in mortality risk between regular hearing aid users and never-users. The scientists followed 1863 participants for ten years to determine their mortality status.

Hearing loss is a common and undertreated health condition in older adults that has been associated with cognitive decline, dementia and poor physical health.

The scientists did not examine why there was a difference in mortality risk. However, the increased longevity may be explained by the possibility that those who wear hearing aids are more likely to avoid social isolation and maintain a higher level of activity.

WOMEN AND CLOGGED ARTERIES

Thanks in part to oestrogen’s protective effects, women who get atherosclerosis tend to get it later than men: between ages 64 and 68 (for men, it’s 52 to 56). But once a woman does have clogged arteries, concluded a study published in European Heart Journal – Cardiovascular Imaging, she may need stronger treatments to avoid a heart attack.

Women’s arteries tend to be slightly smaller than men’s, and that could explain why the same amount of plaque is a greater threat to their blood flow. That’s worth considering when a patient and her doctor are choosing a treatment plan, along with other factors such as age, severity of the atherosclerosis and other cardiovascular risks such as high cholesterol.

THIS BOOSTS BRAIN POWER

Exercise is good for the brain. But it’s especially beneficial when done in pleasant outdoor surroundings. A Canadian study that compared before and after cognitive function found improved abilities in students after they took 15-minute forest walks.