The ACHIEVE study: What the science says about hearing aids and falls

Ask someone how to prevent falls in older age, and you'll probably hear about grab bars, better lighting, or balance exercises. Almost no one mentions their ears. Yet a large, rigorous clinical trial recently found that treating hearing loss cut the rate of falls by more than a quarter, a result significant enough to reshape how researchers think about fall prevention altogether.

Why falls matter so much

Falls are not a minor inconvenience for older adults. More than one in four adults age 65 and older falls each year, and falls are the leading cause of both fatal and nonfatal injuries in this age group.¹ The financial toll is just as striking: nonfatal falls among older adults cost the U.S. healthcare system an estimated $80 billion annually, with the majority of that burden covered by Medicare.¹ Given numbers like these, any intervention that meaningfully reduces fall risk is worth serious attention, especially one as simple as treating hearing loss.

The science: what ACHIEVE found

The ACHIEVE study, conducted by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, is one of the most rigorous clinical trials ever conducted on hearing loss treatment. It followed adults aged 70 to 84 with mild to moderate hearing loss over a three year period, randomly assigning participants to receive either best practice hearing intervention or a general health education control.

While we need more research, the ACHIEVE results offer promising signals that hearing care may reduce falls. To me, it's another piece of research that reinforces that hearing care is linked to broader wellbeing.

-Nicholas Reed, AuD, PhD
Vice President of Audiology Innovation and Research, Amplifon

What researchers found is that participants who received hearing aids experienced an average of 27% fewer falls over the three year study period compared to the control group.² Researchers believe the connection may run through several pathways at once. When you have hearing loss you may experience reduced auditory awareness of your surroundings, increased cognitive burden of challenging listening, and the social and mental health effects that come with communication difficulty.³ In other words, hearing loss doesn't just affect what you hear. It may also affect how steady you feel on your feet.

A likely link to healthcare costs, too

While ACHIEVE's own analysis of healthcare spending and utilization is still forthcoming, the broader research picture already points in a consistent direction. A randomized controlled trial conducted in China found that hearing aid use significantly lowered both self medication costs and total healthcare costs among participants, particularly those with active social networks.⁴ Fewer falls alone would be expected to reduce emergency visits, hospitalizations, and the downstream costs that come with treating fall related injuries like hip fractures. Taken together, the evidence suggests that treating hearing loss isn't just good for communication, it may be a genuinely cost effective public health strategy.

What this means for you or someone you love

If you or someone you love has been putting off a hearing evaluation, the ACHIEVE findings offer a new reason to reconsider. Hearing loss is often framed purely as a communication issue: something that makes conversations harder. But this research suggests it's also a physical safety issue, tied directly to one of the most common and costly health events older adults face. A hearing evaluation isn't just about catching every word at dinner. It could be part of staying steady on your feet for years to come.

This is especially worth discussing with a healthcare provider if you or a loved one has already experienced a fall, has noticed balance changes, or has been managing hearing loss without treatment. The connection between hearing loss and balance may not be obvious at first, but the research is increasingly clear that they're related.

A path forward with Gift of Sound

Findings like these make it clear that treating hearing loss can be about far more than better conversations. It can be a meaningful step toward long term safety and independence. Through its Gift of Sound^® program, the Miracle-Ear Foundation^® provides hearing aids and comprehensive hearing care, including fittings and follow up appointments, at no cost to individuals who qualify. Since 1990, the Foundation has helped more than 31,000 people reconnect with the sounds of everyday life.

You can help someone rediscover the joy of hearing: donate to the Gift of Sound program today.

If you know someone who's been putting off a hearing evaluation, this research might be exactly the reason they need to take that first step.

References

1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2026). Facts About Older Adult Falls. https://www.cdc.gov/falls/data-research/facts-stats/index.html

2. Science Direct. (2025). Effects of hearing intervention on falls in older adults: Findings from a secondary analysis of the ACHIEVE randomised controlled trial. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S246826672500088X

3. ACHIEVE Study, Johns Hopkins Cochlear Center for Hearing and Public Health. (2025). Physical Function: Key Findings. https://www.achievestudy.org/key-findings/physical-function

4. National Library of Medicine. (2022). Impacts of the hearing aid intervention on healthcare utilization and costs among middle-aged and older adults: results from a randomized controlled trial in rural China. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9985011/