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Two-thirds of adults will suffer from hearing loss in 2060: Study

Demand for audiological services to increase

Posted March 6, 2017

In the March 2, 2017, edition of JAMA Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, researchers predict that more than two-thirds of U.S. adults aged 70 years or older will have “clinically meaningful” hearing loss by 2060.

Researchers relied on national population projection estimates using current prevalence estimates of hearing loss to forecast the growing number of hearing loss cases. According to the authors, adults aged 20 or older with hearing loss will increase from 44.11 million in 2020 to 73.50 million in 2060, with the greatest increase occurring in older adults.

The authors warn that as the number of adults with hearing loss grows, so will the demand for audiological healthcare services.

Once hearing loss occurs, it cannot be reversed. The condition most often occurs from prolonged exposures to loud noises such as workplace noise or loud music.


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