A major study published in the journal Heart looked at over 164,000 people for nearly a decade and found that those with hearing loss were 28 percent more likely to develop heart failure than those with normal hearing.
That’s a major jump—on par with the risk you’d see from high blood pressure.
We’ve known for a while that hearing loss is linked to depression, poor health, and social isolation. The thinking was mostly that when you can’t hear well, you withdraw from social situations, get less active, and your overall health suffers.
But researchers now believe something deeper is at play—and it starts in your blood vessels.
You see, your inner ear contains some of the most delicate blood vessels in your entire body. These tiny capillaries are so fine that they’re among the first to show damage when your circulation starts to decline. You can think of them as your body’s early warning system.
When blood flow worsens—whether from diabetes, high blood pressure, or simply aging—your inner ear feels it first. Your hearing starts to fade—but even more disturbing, that same damage is quietly affecting your heart.
So hearing loss isn’t just about your ears—it’s potentially a red flag that your cardiovascular system needs attention.
The study found this connection held true even after accounting for age, lifestyle factors, and other health conditions. And while loneliness and isolation from hearing loss certainly don’t help your heart health, this research suggests the real damage is happening at the cellular level, possibly years before any hearing loss.
What can you do?- Get your hearing checked regularly. Even if it’s “just a little harder to hear in noisy restaurants,” it could be your cardiovascular system sounding the alarm. Many dismiss hearing changes as a normal part of aging, but catching them early can help you address underlying circulation issues before they affect your heart.
- Protect your ears. Turn down the earbuds, wear earplugs at concerts, and give your ears breaks from noisy environments. Preventing hearing damage may also prevent heart damage.
- Take care of your heart. The same things that keep your heart healthy—regular exercise, a Mediterranean-style diet rich in omega-3s, not smoking, and managing blood pressure—also support the delicate blood vessels in your ears.
Turns out that what you can't hear might indeed be trying to tell you something important about what you can't see—the health of your heart.
Health and Happiness,
Dr. Scott Olson, ND
P.S. Social isolation is linked to an increased dementia risk.
Source:
Huang Y, Zhang Y, Zhang Y, Xiang H, Ye Z, Yang S, Gan X, Wu Y, Zhang Y, Qin X. Hearing impairment, psychological distress, and incident heart failure: a prospective cohort study. Heart. 2025 Apr 8:heartjnl-2024-325394. doi: 10.1136/heartjnl-2024-325394.
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Dear Living Well Daily Reader,