Hearing Loss and Frailty among Older Adults: The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study

Abstract

Objectives: Hearing loss may contribute to frailty through cognitive and physical decline, but population-based evidence using validated measures remains scarce. We investigated the association of hearing loss with phenotypic frailty and its individual components and explored the potential protective role of hearing aid use.

Design: Cross-sectional study of community-dwelling older adults at visit 6 (2016-2017) of the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study, a cohort study of older adults from 4 U.S. communities (Washington County, MD; Forsyth County, NC; Jackson, MS; and Minneapolis, MN).

Setting and participants: Population-based study of 3179 participants (mean age = 79.2 years, 58.9% female).

Methods: Pure-tone audiometry at 0.5-4 kHz was used to assess unaided hearing, and the better-hearing ear's pure-tone average was categorized as follows: no [≤25 dB hearing level (HL)], mild (26-40 dB HL), and moderate or greater (>40 dB HL) hearing loss. Hearing aid use was self-reported. The Fried/physical frailty phenotype was used to categorize frailty status (robust, pre-frail, or frail). Multivariable multinomial and logistic regression models were used to study the association of hearing loss/hearing aid use with frailty status and individual frailty components, respectively.

Results: In our sample, 40% had mild and 27% had moderate or greater hearing loss (12% and 55% reported hearing aid use, respectively). Moderate or greater hearing loss was associated with greater odds of being pre-frail [odds ratio (OR), 1.25; 95% CI, 1.01-1.57] and frail (OR, 1.62; 95% CI, 1.06-2.47) vs robust, and greater odds of having slow gait, low physical activity, and exhaustion, compared with no hearing loss. Among those with hearing loss (>25 dB HL), compared with hearing aid users, nonusers had greater odds of being frail vs robust, and having unintentional weight loss, slow gait, and low physical activity.

Conclusions and implications: Hearing loss is associated with pre-frailty and frailty. Longitudinal studies are warranted to establish if hearing aid use may prevent or delay frailty onset.

Keywords: Fried criteria; Hearing loss; frailty; hearing aids; physical frailty phenotype.