(A803) Association of Hearing Loss and Cognition Among Older Indians

Introduction: Studies from the U.S. and Western Europe suggest hearing loss is linked to cognitive decline in older adults, while many global studies rely on potentially biased self-reported data. We analyzed data from a large, nationally representative study of older adults in India to explore this association.

Methods: The Harmonized Diagnostic Assessment of Dementia for the Longitudinal Aging Study in India (LASI-DAD) collects data on cognition and health among Indians over 60. In wave 2 (2022-2024), trained technicians conducted pure-tone audiometry, with quality checked by Johns Hopkins audiologists. Hearing loss was defined using pre-2021 WHO criteria. Cognitive function was assessed using overall (global) and domain-specific factor scores (memory, executive functioning, language, visuospatial, orientation) based on instruments designed for comparison to the U.S. Health and Retirement Study.

Descriptive statistics and multivariate linear regression (including demographic, socioeconomic, and health-related factors) were used to characterize the association between hearing and cognition.

Results: Among 3406 participants (mean age 69.4 years), 506 had no hearing loss, 1465 had mild hearing loss, and 1435 had moderate hearing loss. Those with hearing loss were more likely to be male, less educated, in poorer health, and urban residents. Fully adjusted models showed moderate hearing loss was linked to lower global cognitive scores (β=-.15;95%CI=-.22:-.07), but mild hearing loss was not (β=.03;95%CI=-.04:.10). Moderate hearing loss correlated with lower scores in memory, executive function, visuospatial, and language domains, but not orientation. Similar results were found when hearing loss was measured continuously.

Conclusions: In a nationally representative sample of older adults in India, only moderate hearing loss was linked to poorer cognitive scores, differing from U.S. studies showing a more linear dose-response association. Further investigation in the LASI-DAD sample and replication studies are needed to better understand how hearing impacts healthy aging in India and other countries.