Hearing intervention

10 papers11 findings

C, W, M, H: cells, worms or flies, mice, humans. Dark: independent labs found the same change there. Light: one lab or one study. Outline: nothing yet.

Labs are independent when their papers share no last author and no institution.

Against: findings that point the other way from most findings on the same outcome.

On aging: the drug’s trials ARN judged to be about aging, of every trial that tests it for any use.

No results posted: trials that ended more than a year ago with no results on ClinicalTrials.gov and no paper in ARN’s record.

Company ties: findings with an author at a company, or from a paper whose competing-interests statement declares ties to one.

3 independent labs in 1 country
1 finding against

Human trial8

Outcomes

Cognitive decline

downin humans4no changein humans1−48%

4 studies

Hearing intervention decreases cognitive decline in humans (0.28 points (95% CI: 0.01-0.55)).
“Three years post-randomization, MMSE scores declined less in the intervention group by 0.28 points (95% CI: 0.01-0.55).”
Human trial3 yearsn = 977
Preliminary Results on a Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of the ACHIEVE Hearing Intervention
GSA 2025 abstract31 Dec 2025
Hearing intervention decreases cognitive decline in humans (difference-in-means: 0.059; 95% CI: 0.018, 0.100).
“Annualized change from baseline analyses among ARIC participants (Table 3) revealed intervention was associated with a slower rate of cognitive decline (difference‐in‐means:0.059;95%CI:0.018,0.100)”
Human trialARIC participants with untreated hearing loss3 yearsn = 164
Effects on blood neurodegeneration biomarkers of a randomized hearing rehabilitation intervention: ACHIEVE Clinical Trial update
AAIC 2025 abstract23 Dec 2025
Hearing intervention has no effect on cognitive decline in humans.
“The hearing intervention slowed cognitive decline by 48% in ARIC participants, but not in healthy de novo volunteers.”
Human trialin healthy de novo volunteers3-yearn = 739
EFFECT OF HEARING INTERVENTION ON OLDER ADULTS AT RISK OF COGNITIVE DECLINE: ACHIEVE RANDOMIZED TRIAL
GSA 2024 abstract31 Dec 2024
Hearing intervention decreases cognitive decline in humans (-48%).
“The hearing intervention slowed cognitive decline by 48% in ARIC participants, but not in healthy de novo volunteers.”
Human trialin ARIC participants3-yearn = 238
EFFECT OF HEARING INTERVENTION ON OLDER ADULTS AT RISK OF COGNITIVE DECLINE: ACHIEVE RANDOMIZED TRIAL
GSA 2024 abstract31 Dec 2024
Hearing intervention decreases cognitive decline in humans.
“In eight articles, hearing interventions were found to reduce cognitive decline in cognitively healthy older adults with hearing loss and slow down the progression of cognitive decline.”
Reviewcognitively healthy with hearing loss
HEARING LOSS AND COGNITIVE DECLINE: POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS
GSA 2024 abstract31 Dec 2024

NfL

downin humans1

1 study

Hearing intervention decreases NfL in humans (mean: -0.349; 95% CI: -0.652, -0.046).
“Among ARIC participants, intervention resulted in lower 3‐year GFAP (mean:‐0.415;95%CI:‐0.712,‐0.118) and NfL (mean:‐0.349;95%CI:‐0.652,‐0.046)”
Human trialARIC participants with untreated hearing loss3 years
Effects on blood neurodegeneration biomarkers of a randomized hearing rehabilitation intervention: ACHIEVE Clinical Trial update
AAIC 2025 abstract23 Dec 2025