School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences, Loughborough University, Loughborough, UK.
School of Nursing, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA.
Age Ageing. 2023 Feb 1;52(2). doi: 10.1093/ageing/afad020.
Over the course of a lifetime, the risk of experiencing multiple chronic conditions (multimorbidity) increases, necessitating complex healthcare regimens. Healthcare that manages these requirements in an integrated way has been shown to be more effective than services that address specific diseases individually. One such chronic condition that often accompanies ageing is hearing loss and related symptoms, such as tinnitus. Hearing loss is not only highly prevalent in older adults but is also a leading cause of disability. Accumulating evidence demonstrates an interplay between auditory function and other aspects of health. For example, poorer cardiometabolic health profiles have been shown to increase the risk of hearing loss, which has been attributed to microvascular disruptions and neural degeneration. Additionally, hearing loss itself is associated with significantly increased odds of falling and is a potentially modifiable risk factor for cognitive decline and dementia. Such evidence warrants consideration of new possibilities-a new horizon-for hearing care to develop a holistic, person-centred approach that promotes the overall health and wellbeing of the individual, as well as for audiology to be part of an interdisciplinary healthcare service. To achieve this holistic goal, audiologists and other hearing healthcare professionals should be aware of the range of conditions associated with hearing loss and be ready to make health promoting recommendations and referrals to the appropriate health practitioners. Likewise, healthcare professionals not trained in audiology should be mindful of their patients' hearing status, screening for hearing loss or referring them to a hearing specialist as required.
在人的一生当中，同时患有多种慢性疾病（即多种疾病并存）的风险会增加，这需要复杂的医疗保健方案。事实证明，以综合方式管理这些需求的医疗保健比单独针对特定疾病的服务更为有效。随着年龄的增长，听力损失和耳鸣等相关症状是常见的伴随性慢性疾病之一。听力损失不仅在老年人中高发，也是导致残疾的主要原因之一。越来越多的证据表明，听觉功能与健康的其他方面之间存在相互作用。例如，较差的心脏代谢健康状况会增加听力损失的风险，这归因于微血管损伤和神经退行性变。此外，听力损失本身与跌倒的几率显著增加有关，并且是认知能力下降和痴呆症的潜在可改变风险因素。这种证据需要考虑新的可能性——听力保健的新视野——制定整体、以个人为中心的方法，以促进个人的整体健康和福祉，同时使听力学成为跨学科医疗保健服务的一部分。为了实现这一整体目标，听力学家和其他听力保健专业人员应该了解与听力损失相关的各种情况，并准备提供促进健康的建议和转介给合适的健康从业者。同样，未接受过听力学培训的医疗保健专业人员应该关注他们的患者的听力状况，对听力损失进行筛查，或根据需要将他们转介给听力专家。
