EAN Congress: Hearing aid use linked to 23% lower dementia risk in people with both epilepsy and hearing loss

GENEVA, June 27, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Adults with both epilepsy and hearing loss who use hearing aids may have a 23% lower risk of developing dementia than those who do not, according to new research presented at the European Academy of Neurology (EAN) Congress 2026.

Hearing loss is widely recognised as the largest modifiable risk factor for dementia. Yet whether hearing aids can reduce dementia risk remains debated.

To explore this, researchers from University Hospital Zurich and the University of Liverpool analysed electronic health records from more than 250 million patients in the TriNetX network.

They compared adults with hearing loss who used hearing aids with closely matched adults who did not. The analysis included the overall hearing-loss population as well as people living with epilepsy, stroke, type 2 diabetes, chronic kidney disease, heart failure, migraine and osteoarthritis.