Impact of Hearing Aid Use on Falls and Falls-Related Injury: Results From the Health and Retirement Study.

ABSTRACT:

Objectives

Falls are considered a significant public health issue and falls risk increases with age. There are many age-related physiologic changes that occur that increase postural instability and the risk for falls (i.e., age-related sensory declines in vision, vestibular, somatosensation, age-related orthopedic changes, and polypharmacy). Hearing loss has been shown to be an independent risk factor for falls. The primary objective of this study was to determine if hearing aid use modified (reduced) the association between self-reported hearing status and falls or falls-related injury. We hypothesized that hearing aid use would reduce the impact of hearing loss on the odds of falling and falls-related injury. If hearing aid users have reduced odds of falling compared with nonhear

SUBMITTER: Riska KM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9554784 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Mar/Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature