A recent study led by researchers at NYU Langone Health suggests that providing hearing aids and personalised guidance on their use may play a key role in maintaining social connections as people age. Published in JAMA Internal Medicine on May 12, the research forms part of the larger ACHIEVE clinical trial. It highlights the potential for hearing interventions to curb social isolation, a concern that disproportionately affects older adults. According to its authors, such measures could serve as a meaningful strategy to combat the so-called “loneliness epidemic” facing elderly Americans by preserving the interpersonal ties that often dwindle in later life.
The backdrop for the study is a growing recognition of social isolation as a serious public health challenge. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that over a quarter of seniors experience limited or no social contact, while a third identify as feeling lonely. Hearing loss, which impairs effective communication, has been increasingly implicated in these experiences of isolation. The 2023 U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory elevated the issue to the same level of urgency as tackling tobacco use, obesity, and addiction, underscoring the societal impact of diminishing human connection.
In examining the effects of hearing care on social ties, researchers compared nearly 1,000 older adults with untreated hearing loss. Participants aged between 70 and 84 were recruited from Maryland, North Carolina, Minnesota, and Mississippi sites. Half the group received hearing aids, tailored counselling sessions, and support from audiologists, including technical training and assistive devices such as TV adapters. The control group received general health education focused on physical activity and effective communication with healthcare professionals. The results showed that those given hearing interventions preserved one more social connection on average than their counterparts over three years.
More than maintaining contacts, participants who received hearing care demonstrated richer, more diverse social networks—family, friends, and acquaintances—and reported higher-quality relationships. Their interactions were measured using a comprehensive range of indicators, including frequency of social encounters, network diversity, and emotional closeness. In terms of loneliness, both groups started at a similar baseline. Still, over time, those who received hearing aids exhibited slight improvements, whereas those without hearing intervention saw their loneliness scores worsen. These changes were tracked through periodic assessments over three years using a validated 20-item questionnaire measuring feelings of disconnect and solitude.
Lead author Nicholas Reed, AuD, PhD, a faculty member at NYU Grossman School of Medicine’s Optimal Aging Institute, noted that addressing hearing loss could significantly enhance mental and physical health by promoting social engagement. The study strengthens previous evidence linking hearing impairment and loneliness to more serious health outcomes such as depression, cardiovascular disease, and even premature death. Reed’s colleague and co-principal investigator Josef Coresh, MD, PhD, emphasised that these findings should prompt renewed efforts to integrate hearing aids into Medicare coverage, pointing out that the average cost of hearing care—around $4,700—is typically borne by patients themselves and remains a barrier to widespread adoption.
However, the authors caution that participants received unusually high care during the trial, including immediate hearing aid replacements and extended time with audiologists, which may not reflect the average public experience. The research team plans to expand the study over three years and include a more ethnically and socioeconomically diverse sample in future phases, as the current cohort was predominantly White. Still, the study underscores a critical message: hearing care restores sound and preserves the social fabric that sustains well-being in old age.
More information: Nicholas Reed et al, Hearing Intervention, Social Isolation, and Loneliness
A Secondary Analysis of the ACHIEVE Randomized Clinical Trial, JAMA Internal Medicine. DOI: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2025.1140
Journal information: JAMA Internal Medicine Provided by NYU Langone Health / NYU Grossman School of Medicine
