Frontline: Hearing aids and longer life span; breast cancer; sleep and good mental health
Study Ties Regular Hearing Aid Use to Longer Life Span
Using hearing aids significantly increased the likelihood of a longer life for adults with hearing loss—but only if the hearing aids were used regularly, according to a study. For 10 years, researchers tracked the status of nearly 1,900 adults who had been shown to have hearing loss and who had completed questionnaires about their hearing aid use. The patients who used hearing aids regularly (at least once a week or at least five hours a week) were 25 percent less likely to die during the study period compared with those who never used hearing aids. Previous research has shown that untreated hearing loss can result in social isolation, increased risk of falling, and a reduced life span. The researchers noted that people who regularly use hearing aids may be more socially active and less isolated, and that they fall less, and these factors might explain the increased longevity.
Some Women with Early-Stage Breast Cancer May Safely Skip Radiation
Postmenopausal women in their 50s and 60s who have been diagnosed with early stage HR+ breast cancer and skip radiation treatment after breast-conserving surgery have a very low risk of disease recurrence within five years, according to an Emory University study.
Earlier studies have suggested that women who are 65 and older might do just as well if they skip radiation treatments. Now, this study found the same might hold true for even younger postmenopausal women. The research team first gave sensitive genetic tests to each patient, to gauge their tumor’s likelihood of recurrence after lumpectomy. If tests revealed a low risk of recurrence, the patient was given the option to skip radiation therapy and instead continue taking five years of hormonal treatments. Of the 186 patients who could be fully evaluated, all were still alive five years after their lumpectomy, and 99 percent were found to be free of breast cancer at that time.
Regular Sleep Schedules Are Critical to Good Mental Health
Older women who stick to a set sleep and wake schedule are more likely to avoid feelings of depression and anxiety, according to a University of Michigan study. For the study, researchers analyzed sleep patterns and assessed the psychological health of close to 1,200 postmenopausal women. The study showed that women with a sleep midpoint (the halfway point in time between falling asleep and waking up) that fell outside 2 a.m. and 4 a.m. were 72 percent more likely to report significant depression symptoms. Each hour of sleep schedule irregularity increased a woman’s chances of experiencing significant depressive symptoms by 68 percent and significant anxiety symptoms by 62 percent. Previous studies regarding sleep irregularity have found that not sticking to a regular bedtime and wake-up schedule and getting different amounts of sleep each night can put a person at higher risk for obesity, high cholesterol, hypertension, and diabetes.
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