Age-Related Hearing Impairment Correlates with Age-Related Physical Impairment

It should not be surprising to find correlations between manifestations of age-related degeneration, even those in which it is debatable as to whether age-related condition A can contribute meaningfully to the progression of age-related condition B, as is the case for hearing loss and physical frailty. All age-related conditions and aspects of aging arise from the same set of underlying forms of cell and tissue damage. Different people accumulate that damage at somewhat different rates, due largely to lifestyle choices and environmental factors. If someone exhibits greater consequences of aging in one part of the body, the odds are good that degeneration in the rest of the body is also more advanced. Physical functioning is necessary for independent living and tends to decline with age. Hearing impairment, which affects approximately two-thirds of adults older than 70 years, is a risk factor for various adverse outcomes. Hearing impairment may also adversely affect physical functioning through reduced perception of auditory input that contributes to walking and balance. However, research characterizing the association between hearing impairment and objective physical function and walking endurance measures is limited. Associations between self-reported hearing impairment and poorer physical function have been reported previously. However, self-reported hearing impairment is prone to measurement error and has been shown to underestimate associations with object...
Source: Fight Aging! - Category: Research Authors: Tags: Daily News Source Type: blogs