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Study finds link between hearing loss and Parkinson’s disease in Veterans

White male doctor performing hearing test on patient.
Dr. Lee Neilson, with Oregon Health & Science University in Portland Oregon, led a recent study which finds links between hearing loss and Parkinson's disease. Photo by Christine Torres Hicks OHSU.
By Nick Choy, Public Affairs Specialist

A new study from a database of millions of veterans nationwide reveals a possible connection between hearing loss and Parkinson’s disease.

The VA Portland Health Care System has collaborated with Oregon Health & Science University on a study published today in the journal JAMA Neurology sought out to examine whether hearing loss could be a potential risk factor for Parkinson's disease (PD).

Parkinson’s disease affects over one million Americans and disproportionately impacts Veterans. Researchers took advantage of the unique medical record system at the Department of Veterans Affairs to explore possible links between the disease and hearing loss.

The study examined 7,296,051 US Veterans with an audiogram between January 1, 1999 and December 30, 2022. Results showed that those with hearing loss have a much higher risk of developing PD later in life. Research also showed that those who have the worst hearing loss seemed to have the highest risk of developing PD.

The study also looked at any link between the use of hearing aids and lowering the risk of developing PD. Researchers found that as long as people got a hearing aid within two years of having an abnormal hearing test, their risk of developing PD later in life was lowered substantially. Therefore, widespread screening for hearing loss and appropriate use of hearing aids may reduce the incidence of PD. Additional studies are needed to examine potential underlying mechanisms underlying the association between hearing loss and PD.

“We still have much to learn about how hearing loss contributes to the disease and how hearing aids might work to lower one's risk for getting PD,” said lead author Lee Neilson, M.D. a staff neurologist for the Portland VA and assistant professor of neurology in the OHSU School of Medicine. “Considering there are few downsides to getting screened and fitted for a hearing aid, we would encourage everyone to do it.”

In addition to Neilson, co-authors include Kelly M. Reavis, Ph.D., of the VA’s National Center for Rehabilitative Auditory Research and the OHSU-Portland State University School of Public Health; Jack Wiedrick, MS, of OHSU and Gregory D. Scott, M.D., Ph.D., staff physician at the Portland VA in the Pathology Department.

The research was supported by Veterans Affairs Biomedical Laboratory Research and Development grant awards CDA2 IK2 BX00f760-01A1 and CDA2 IK2 CX00253-01A1; the John and Tami Marick Family Foundation, Collins Medical Trust Award, OHSU Medical Research Foundation New Investigator Award and PCO Pilot Award; the National Center for Rehabilitative Auditory Research grant award C2361C/I50 RX002361 and the Parkinson’s Disease Research, Education, Clinical Center at the VA Portland.

Details of the study and its findings can be accessed by visiting: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamaneurology/currentissue

This story was a collaboration between OHSU Communications Team and VA Portland Public Affairs. Special thanks to Erik Robinson, OHSU Senior Communications Specialist for his collaborative work and significant contributions to this story.