• Smoking:  Current smokers have a 70 percent higher risk of having hearing loss than nonsmokers.
• Heart Health:  People with low-frequency hearing loss are considered at risk for cardiovascular events.
• Hypertension:  There is a significant association between high blood pressure and untreated hearing loss.  Hypertension can be an accelerating factor of hearing loss in older adults.
• Diabetes:  Hearing loss is twice as common in people with diabetes as their peers without.
• Osteoporosis:  Osteoporosis can adversely affect the three tiny bones in the middle ear, which can lead to hearing loss.

• Adults 50 years and older with untreated hearing loss are more likely to develop problems thinking and remembering than adults with normal hearing.
  
• Adults 75 years and older with untreated hearing loss experience a 30 to 40 percent faster decline in cognitive abilities compared to peers without hearing loss.

• Seniors with untreated hearing loss are significantly more likely to develop dementia over time than those who retain their hearing.
  
• Adults with mild hearing loss are 2 times more likely to develop dementia.
  
• Adults with moderate hearing loss are 3 times more likely to develop dementia.
  
• Adults with severe hearing loss are 5 times more likely to develop dementia.

• Adults 50 years and older with untreated hearing loss were found to be less likely to participate in organized social activities than peers who wore hearing aids.
  
• Adults 50 and older with untreated hearing loss are more likely to report depression, anxiety and paranoia than peers who wore hearing aids.

• Withdrawal from work or social activates
  
• Impaired memory
  
• The inability to learn new tasks
  
• Reduced alertness
  
• Compromised personal safety such as falling
  
• Irritability, anger, fatigue, stress and depression