‘Lack of hearing aids fuels dementia epidemic’

Scientists are to investigate whether a lack of hearing aids is helping to fuel the Alzheimer’s epidemic.

Even mild hearing loss is said to double the risk of dementia, and severe deafness increases it five-fold.

Hearing impairment has been found to raise the rate of cognitive decline with age by about 36%. Experts believe deafness undermines working memory by making it harder to think.