Hearing loss prevalence in the aging population: updated population-based audiometric data from the Rotterdam study.
Level 3 - non-randomized controlled study
Prospective population-based cohort study
PubMed 41343609 · doi:10.1080/14992027.2025.2597317
What was done
Audiometric data were collected between 2011 and July 2024 from 7,772 unscreened participants aged 40 years and older within the prospective, population-based Rotterdam Study in the Netherlands. Pure-tone average hearing thresholds were assessed across 0.5, 1, 2, and 4 kHz in the better ear, and cochlear implant candidacy was estimated across different definitions.
What was found
Hearing loss greater than 35 dBHL was present in 31% of men and 30% of women aged 65 years and older. In participants aged 80 years and older, prevalence rose to 62% in men and 57% in women. Depending on the audiological definition applied, the proportion of adults aged 80 years and older meeting criteria for cochlear implant candidacy ranged from 0.7% to 7.0%.
Why it matters
These updated population figures provide concrete estimates of hearing rehabilitation demand in aging populations, indicating that substantial fractions of octogenarians may meet criteria for advanced interventions like cochlear implantation.
Limits
The abstract does not describe longitudinal progression rates, racial or ethnic diversity, or non-audiometric factors affecting cochlear implant eligibility (such as cognitive status, surgical risk, or speech recognition scores in noise). Confidence intervals for prevalence estimates were not reported.