Otolaryngology

• Individuals diagnosed with hearing loss had 33% higher healthcare payments.
• Middle-aged individuals with hearing loss expended $14,165 per year in healthcare expenditures versus $10,629 for those with normal hearing over a 1.5-year period.
• The onset of hearing loss has been found to be gradual, with prevalence tripling from the age of 50 years to 60 years.
• Age-related hearing loss affects more than 60% of U.S. adults aged ≥70; has been linked to increased risk of hospitalization, decreased quality of life, and increased risk of functional and cognitive decline.
• This cohort study included 561,764 individuals.

• Restoration of hearing loss is linked to significant reduction in overall consumption of healthcare resources.
• Cochlear implantation was linked with greatly improved social engagement and quality of life for both hearers, and family, friends, and acquaintances.
• Social isolation was significantly decreased irrespective of the age of the implant recipient.
• Cochlear implantation was significantly superior to intervention with hearing aids for patients with single-sided postlingual deafness.

• Impaired hearing is a physical deficit that is linked to cognitive decline, physical injury, social isolation, and depression.
• Aural deficit and depression are more common in elderly, women.
• Hearing loss is associated with depression at any age.
• Elderly patients aged 65 to 94 years experienced improved speech perception with cochlear implants.
• Study included 94 patients, 81% of whom showed improved cognitive abilities following cochlear implantation. Benefits were observable within 6 months postop.

The following is a list of recently published articles that are relevant to the topic of oral immunotherapy for allergies. This list is intended to accompany our article on this type of therapy for food allergies.

The articles have been selected by the MDalert.com editors based on the quality of the research, the importance of the finding, the number of people affected by it, and the cost of the therapy studied.

• Elderly patients aged 65 to 94 years experienced improved speech perception.
• Study included 94 patients, 81% of whom showed improved cognitive abilities following implantation.
• Benefits were observable beginning at six months postop.