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ABSTRACT: Purpose
The Aging and Cognitive Health Evaluation in Elders (ACHIEVE) study is a randomized clinical trial designed to determine the effects of a best-practice hearing intervention versus a successful aging health education control intervention on cognitive decline among community-dwelling older adults with untreated mild-to-moderate hearing loss. We describe the baseline audiologic characteristics of the ACHIEVE participants.Method
Participants aged 70-84 years (N = 977; Mage = 76.8) were enrolled at four U.S. sites through two recruitment routes: (a) an ongoing longitudinal study and (b) de novo through the community. Participants underwent diagnostic evaluation including otoscopy, tympanometry, pure-tone and speech audiometry, speech-in-noise testing, and provided self-reported hearing abilities. Baseline characteristics are reported as frequencies (percentages) for categorical variables or medians (interquartiles, Q1-Q3) for continuous variables. Between-groups comparisons were conducted using chi-square tests for categorical variables or Kruskal-Wallis test for continuous variables. Spearman correlations assessed relationships between measured hearing function and self-reported hearing handicap.Results
The median four-frequency pure-tone average of the better ear was 39 dB HL, and the median speech-in-noise performance was a 6-dB SNR loss, indicating mild speech-in-noise difficulty. No clinically meaningful differences were found across sites. Significant differences in subjective measures were found for recruitment route. Expected correlations between hearing measurements and self-reported handicap were found.Conclusions
The extensive baseline audiologic characteristics reported here will inform future analyses examining associations between hearing loss and cognitive decline. The final ACHIEVE data set will be publicly available for use among the scientific community.Supplemental material
https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.24756948.
SUBMITTER: Sanchez VA
PROVIDER: S-EPMC11001432 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Jan
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

Sanchez Victoria A VA Arnold Michelle L ML Betz Joshua F JF Reed Nicholas S NS Faucette Sarah S Anderson Elizabeth E Burgard Sheila S Coresh Josef J Deal Jennifer A JA Eddins Ann Clock AC Goman Adele M AM Glynn Nancy W NW Gravens-Mueller Lisa L Hampton Jaime J Hayden Kathleen M KM Huang Alison R AR Liou Kaila K Mitchell Christine M CM Mosley Thomas H TH Neil Haley N HN Pankow James S JS Pike James R JR Schrack Jennifer A JA Sherry Laura L Teece Katherine H KH Witherell Kerry K Lin Frank R FR Chisolm Theresa H TH
American journal of audiology 20240102
<h4>Purpose</h4>The Aging and Cognitive Health Evaluation in Elders (ACHIEVE) study is a randomized clinical trial designed to determine the effects of a best-practice hearing intervention versus a successful aging health education control intervention on cognitive decline among community-dwelling older adults with untreated mild-to-moderate hearing loss. We describe the baseline audiologic characteristics of the ACHIEVE participants.<h4>Method</h4>Participants aged 70-84 years (<i>N</i> = 977; ...[more]