Another study has suggested there may be a link between hearing impairment and an increased risk of developing Parkinson’s disease.
The British study, which followed people who had a hearing test for an average 14 years, revealed a 57% increased risk of Parkinson’s for every 10-decibel increase in baseline hearing impairment.
Researchers said their findings suggested hearing impairment was “intricately related to Parkinson’s and underscore the potential benefits of addressing auditory function in Parkinson’s diagnosis and follow-up care.”
The study was reported in the February 2025 edition of Parkinsonism & Related Disorders.
Led by Lancaster University it is one of the first studies to examine whether hearing loss might increase the risk for Parkinson’s or serve as an early warning sign.
Researchers analysed data from the UK Biobank biomedical database containing data from half a million participants across the UK.
They looked at data from 159,395 people who had previously undergone a hearing test measuring their ability to detect speech in noisy environments and had no history of Parkinson’s at the time of the assessment.
Over an average follow-up period of 14.24 years, 810 participants were subsequently diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. There was a 57% increased risk of the disease for every 10-decibel increase in baseline hearing impairment.
Dr Megan Readman, ESRC Post Doctoral Research Fellow from Lancaster University’s Department of Psychology, led the study.
“These findings are incredibly important; first, this is one of the first studies to look at how hearing impairments may increase risk for Parkinson’s or be an early warning sign of Parkinson’s,” she said.
“Secondly, as our findings suggest, hearing loss is intricately related to Parkinson’s so it may be beneficial for auditory functioning and the management of auditory impairment to be considered at the time of diagnosis and follow-up care.”
Unclear if link is causal
Dr Readman said it was not clear if the link between Parkinson’s and hearing loss was causal or if there was simply a correlation.
“We do not know whether hearing loss can cause Parkinson’s, or if there is a common underlying cause for both conditions,” she said.
Other authors included Yang Wang and Fang Wan, Ms Sally Linkenauger, Professor Trevor Crawford and Professor Christopher Plack plus Mr Ian Fairman who has Parkinson’s and hearing impairment.
Professor Plack said it was increasingly clear that hearing loss was not an isolated condition but was associated with several other disorders.
“Understanding these links is vital if we are to provide effective patient care, improving independence and quality of life for the individuals concerned,” he said.
By identifying factors that might contribute to Parkinson’s onset, such as hearing impairment, the researchers said they hoped to pave the way for new strategies in prevention and care.
“This important study is the latest discovery in a decade-long series of research on neurodegenerative disorders, conducted by our team at Lancaster University in collaboration with colleagues across the UK,” Professor Crawford said.
Parkinson’s UK said Parkinson’s was the fastest-growing neurological condition in the world.
A large American study last year reported that hearing loss in older age appeared to be an independent risk factor for later development of Parkinson’s disease but hearing aids appeared to attenuate this risk.
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