The World Health Organization (WHO) has for the first time included hearing aids among its recommended strategies for reducing the risk of cognitive decline and dementia, marking a notable shift from its previous guidance. Published on July 15, the second edition of WHO’s Risk Reduction of Cognitive Decline and Dementia guidelines ( PDF available here , see pgs....
Continue reading at Hearing Tracker
✦ The floor
Discussion
Signed responses from readers of the wire.
Audiologists and hearing aid dispensers can now cite WHO-level guidance when counseling patients with hearing loss about the brain health benefits of amplification — consider integrating dementia risk reduction into patient education materials.
WHO endorsement of hearing aids in dementia prevention guidance represents the highest-profile policy validation to date of the hearing loss–cognitive decline link, likely to influence referral pathways, insurance coverage discussions, and public health messaging globally.
- 01WHO's updated dementia prevention guidelines (published July 15) include hearing aids for the first time.
- 02Hearing aids are recommended as a strategy to reduce the risk of cognitive decline.
- 03This is a guideline update, not a new research study — the underlying evidence base predates this publication.
- 04Inclusion in WHO guidance may drive changes in national health policy and insurance coverage for hearing aids.
- 05Clinicians now have a high-authority reference to support hearing aid recommendation in the context of brain health.
Hearing aids reduce the risk of cognitive decline and dementia.
guidelinepartially supportedThe WHO's July 2025 dementia prevention guidance is the first edition to include hearing aids as a recommended intervention.
guidelinesupported