Oxford study finds social hearing issues precede dementia


Simon Rushton
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People who have trouble hearing in busy public venues could be at greater risk of developing dementia, an Oxford University study has revealed.

The inability to hear in noisy environments, such as train stations, restaurants or parties, could be linked to dementia, the study published in Alzheimer's & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer's Association, found.

Researchers studied data from more than 82,000 people aged 60 and above, and found that difficulty hearing spoken conversation is associated with up to a 91 per cent increased risk of dementia.

The jury is still out on whether the hearing problems are causing the dementia or an early symptom of the condition.

“Dementia affects millions of individuals worldwide, with the number of cases projected to treble in the next few decades,” said study senior author Dr Thomas Littlejohns, senior epidemiologist in the Nuffield Department of Population Health.

“However, there is growing evidence that developing dementia is not inevitable and that the risk could be reduced by treating pre-existing conditions. While preliminary, these results suggest speech-in-noise hearing impairment could represent a promising target for dementia prevention.”

The study found that, over 11 years of follow ups, 1,285 participants were identified as developing dementia based on hospital inpatient and death register records.

Hearing in restaurants can be tricky. Getty Images
Hearing in restaurants can be tricky. Getty Images

Insufficient and poor speech-in-noise hearing were associated with an increased risk of developing dementia of between 61 and 91 per cent, compared to normal speech-in-noise hearing, respectively, the study found.

David Curtis, honorary professor of University College London genetics’ institute, said the new research seems to confirm the association between hearing problems and dementia, but not that the hearing issue is the cause of dementia or that tackling the hearing issue could stop the dementia.

“I think this confirms the association but it remains much more plausible that people who are going to develop dementia will have a bit of dementia that has not been clinically diagnosed yet.

“They have problems deciphering speech when there’s background noise because it’s a very, very demanding cognitive task to decipher speech over background noise, and if there’s any impairment at all to your cognitive function that will be a place to pick that up.”

“The idea that you can stimulate your brain out of dementia is probably a little but optimistic,” Prof Curtis said.

The study also found that the risk of dementia remained similar when restricting the analysis to dementia, which developed after nine years as well as within three years.

“Many people with dementia will experience difficultly following speech in a noisy environment – a symptom sometimes called the cocktail party problem,” said Dr Katy Stubbs from Alzheimer’s Research UK.

“This study suggests that these hearing changes may not just be a symptom of dementia, but a risk factor that could potentially be treated.”

“Large studies... are powerful tools for identifying genetic, health and lifestyle factors linked to conditions like dementia, but it is always difficult to tease apart cause and effect in this type of research,” she said.

if you go

The flights

Fly to Rome with Etihad (www.etihad.ae) or Emirates (www.emirates.com) from Dh2,480 return including taxes. The flight takes six hours. Fly from Rome to Trapani with Ryanair (www.ryanair.com) from Dh420 return including taxes. The flight takes one hour 10 minutes. 

The hotels 

The author recommends the following hotels for this itinerary. In Trapani, Ai Lumi (www.ailumi.it); in Marsala, Viacolvento (www.viacolventomarsala.it); and in Marsala Del Vallo, the Meliaresort Dimore Storiche (www.meliaresort.it).

Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
 
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
 
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
 
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
 
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
Scoreline

Abu Dhabi Harlequins 17

Jebel Ali Dragons 20

Harlequins Tries: Kinivilliame, Stevenson; Cons: Stevenson 2; Pen: Stevenson

Dragons Tries: Naisau, Fourie; Cons: Love 2; Pens: Love 2

FROM%20THE%20ASHES
%3Cp%3EDirector%3A%20Khalid%20Fahad%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EStarring%3A%20Shaima%20Al%20Tayeb%2C%20Wafa%20Muhamad%2C%20Hamss%20Bandar%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ERating%3A%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
COMPANY%20PROFILE%3A
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Envision%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2017%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EKarthik%20Mahadevan%20and%20Karthik%20Kannan%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20The%20Netherlands%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Technology%2FAssistive%20Technology%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInitial%20investment%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%241.5%20million%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECurrent%20number%20of%20staff%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2020%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Seed%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204impact%2C%20ABN%20Amro%2C%20Impact%20Ventures%20and%20group%20of%20angels%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Libya's Gold

UN Panel of Experts found regime secretly sold a fifth of the country's gold reserves. 

The panel’s 2017 report followed a trail to West Africa where large sums of cash and gold were hidden by Abdullah Al Senussi, Qaddafi’s former intelligence chief, in 2011.

Cases filled with cash that was said to amount to $560m in 100 dollar notes, that was kept by a group of Libyans in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.

A second stash was said to have been held in Accra, Ghana, inside boxes at the local offices of an international human rights organisation based in France.

UAE squad

Esha Oza (captain), Al Maseera Jahangir, Emily Thomas, Heena Hotchandani, Indhuja Nandakumar, Katie Thompson, Lavanya Keny, Mehak Thakur, Michelle Botha, Rinitha Rajith, Samaira Dharnidharka, Siya Gokhale, Sashikala Silva, Suraksha Kotte, Theertha Satish (wicketkeeper) Udeni Kuruppuarachchige, Vaishnave Mahesh.

UAE tour of Zimbabwe

All matches in Bulawayo
Friday, Sept 26 – First ODI
Sunday, Sept 28 – Second ODI
Tuesday, Sept 30 – Third ODI
Thursday, Oct 2 – Fourth ODI
Sunday, Oct 5 – First T20I
Monday, Oct 6 – Second T20I

Company profile

Name: Thndr

Started: October 2020

Founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr

Based: Cairo, Egypt

Sector: FinTech

Initial investment: pre-seed of $800,000

Funding stage: series A; $20 million

Investors: Tiger Global, Beco Capital, Prosus Ventures, Y Combinator, Global Ventures, Abdul Latif Jameel, Endure Capital, 4DX Ventures, Plus VC,  Rabacap and MSA Capital

Brief scoreline:

Toss: South Africa, elected to bowl first

England (311-8): Stokes 89, Morgan 57, Roy 54, Root 51; Ngidi 3-66

South Africa (207): De Kock 68, Van der Dussen 50; Archer 3-27, Stokes 2-12

The biog

Favourite film: The Notebook  

Favourite book: What I know for sure by Oprah Winfrey

Favourite quote: “Social equality is the only basis of human happiness” Nelson Madela.           Hometown: Emmen, The Netherlands

Favourite activities: Walking on the beach, eating at restaurants and spending time with friends

Job: Founder and Managing Director of Mawaheb from Beautiful Peopl

Mobile phone packages comparison
Updated: September 15, 2021, 10:58 AM