Older adults who get a hearing aid for a newly diagnosed hearing loss have a lower risk of being diagnosed with dementia, depression or anxiety for the first time over the next three years, and a lower risk of suffering fall-related injuries, than those who leave their hearing loss uncorrected, a new study finds.

Only 12% of those who have a formal diagnosis of hearing loss actually get the devices even when they have insurance coverage for at least part of the cost, the study shows. It also reveals gaps in hearing aid use among people of different racial ' ethnic backgrounds, geographic locations and genders.

The findings, made by a University of Michigan team using data from nearly 115,000 people over age 66 with hearing loss ' insurance coverage through a Medicare HMO between 2008 and 2016, are published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.

Unlike traditional Medicare, Medicare HMOs typically cover some hearing aid costs for members diagnosed with hearing loss by an audiologist.

Elham Mahmoudi, MBA, PhD, the U-M Department of Family Medicine health economist who led the study, says the study confirms what other studies have shown among patients studied at a single point in time but the new findings show differences emerging as time goes on.