SAGE
Journal of Alzheimer's Disease
,  volume 104 ,  issue 2 ,  pages 364-373

Hearing loss and the risk of dementia: A longitudinal analysis of the Korean National Health Insurance Service Senior Cohort

Jae-Won Jang 1, 2
, 
Seung Hwan Lee 1, 2
, 
Tae Su Kim 2, 3
, 
Eun Ju Lee 4
, 
Sang-Won Park 5, 6
, 
Na Young Yeo 7
, 
Youngju Kim 8
1
 
2
 
3
 
4
 
5
 
6
 
7
 
8
 
Publication type: Journal Article
Publication date: 2025-02-09
SAGE
scimago Q1
wos Q2
SJR: 1.166
CiteScore: 6.1
Impact factor: 3.1
ISSN: 13872877, 18758908
Abstract
Background

Hearing loss is a potentially modifiable risk factor implicated in dementia, with recent research suggesting an association between age-related hearing degradation and dementia.

Objective

This study aims to elucidate the relationship between hearing decline and dementia risk.

Methods

We analyzed data from 511,953 subjects from the Korean National Health Insurance Service-Senior Cohort (2002–2008). After excluding those diagnosed with dementia in 2002, 511,935 subjects were included. Subjects with hearing loss between 2002 and 2008 were selected and matched with a control group without hearing impairment based on age and gender. Statistical analyses, including Pearson's chi-squared test and the Cox proportional hazards model, were conducted, controlling for confounding variables such as household income and residential area. Subgroup analysis was also performed for Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia.

Results

Subjects with hearing loss had a 1.245 times higher risk of all-cause dementia compared to those without hearing loss (adjusted hazard ratio over 3 years, 95% CI = 1.201–1.290), adjusting for gender, age, residence, and income. The adjusted hazard ratios for Alzheimer's disease over 3, 5, 7, and 10 years from the index date were 1.259 (95% CI = 1.211–1.308), 1.258 (95% CI = 1.208–1.310), 1.269 (95% CI = 1.215–1.325), and 1.235 (95% CI = 1.170–1.304), respectively. No significant association was found for vascular dementia, except for 3 years.

Conclusions

Hearing loss consistently increased the risk of all-cause dementia and Alzheimer's disease across timespans, suggesting a complex link between hearing loss and neurodegenerative diseases. These findings highlight the importance of early intervention and cognitive monitoring for individuals with hearing loss.

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GOST |
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GOST Copy
Jang J. et al. Hearing loss and the risk of dementia: A longitudinal analysis of the Korean National Health Insurance Service Senior Cohort // Journal of Alzheimer's Disease. 2025. Vol. 104. No. 2. pp. 364-373.
GOST all authors (up to 50) Copy
Jang J., Lee S. H., Kim T. S., Lee E. J., Park S., Yeo N. Y., Kim Y. Hearing loss and the risk of dementia: A longitudinal analysis of the Korean National Health Insurance Service Senior Cohort // Journal of Alzheimer's Disease. 2025. Vol. 104. No. 2. pp. 364-373.
RIS |
Cite this
RIS Copy
TY - JOUR
DO - 10.1177/13872877251316805
UR - https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/13872877251316805
TI - Hearing loss and the risk of dementia: A longitudinal analysis of the Korean National Health Insurance Service Senior Cohort
T2 - Journal of Alzheimer's Disease
AU - Jang, Jae-Won
AU - Lee, Seung Hwan
AU - Kim, Tae Su
AU - Lee, Eun Ju
AU - Park, Sang-Won
AU - Yeo, Na Young
AU - Kim, Youngju
PY - 2025
DA - 2025/02/09
PB - SAGE
SP - 364-373
IS - 2
VL - 104
SN - 1387-2877
SN - 1875-8908
ER -
BibTex |
Cite this
BibTex (up to 50 authors) Copy
@article{2025_Jang,
author = {Jae-Won Jang and Seung Hwan Lee and Tae Su Kim and Eun Ju Lee and Sang-Won Park and Na Young Yeo and Youngju Kim},
title = {Hearing loss and the risk of dementia: A longitudinal analysis of the Korean National Health Insurance Service Senior Cohort},
journal = {Journal of Alzheimer's Disease},
year = {2025},
volume = {104},
publisher = {SAGE},
month = {feb},
url = {https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/13872877251316805},
number = {2},
pages = {364--373},
doi = {10.1177/13872877251316805}
}
MLA
Cite this
MLA Copy
Jang, Jae-Won, et al. “Hearing loss and the risk of dementia: A longitudinal analysis of the Korean National Health Insurance Service Senior Cohort.” Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, vol. 104, no. 2, Feb. 2025, pp. 364-373. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/13872877251316805.