Are Current Data Sufficient to Infer that Hearing Aids Contribute to Postural Control and Balance in Older Adults? A Systematic Review.

Only eight studies were included and they were small; none reported a power calculation. Five of the eight studies were rated limited quality, and the authors say the poor quality and poor reporting make it impossible to tell what hearing aids actually contribute to balance. Most studies excluded people with balance disorders or vertigo, so it is not clear how the findings apply to older adults who actually fall. The balance tests were done in a laboratory, so it is not clear whether any benefit shows up in everyday walking and falls. In one study the hearing aids were always tested first and the unaided condition second, so fatigue could explain the difference.

The authors declare no conflicts of interest. Two of the authors, Karen Banai and Limor Lavie, are supported by the Israeli Science Foundations (Grant No. 206/18) for their empirical work. The review uses only published literature, so no ethics approval was needed.

Do not read the five studies showing better balance with hearing aids as proof that hearing aids reduce falls. Most of those studies excluded people with balance problems or vertigo, the overall quality was limited to moderate, and the authors themselves conclude the evidence is not sufficient to make this claim.