Hearing loss among older adults appears to be associated with faster cognitive decline than people without hearing loss, researchers found, in a report published in the Los Angeles Times.

Hearing loss is common and, in young persons, can compromise social development, communication skills, and educational achievement. A survey was conducted to examine the current prevalence of hearing loss in U.S. adolescents and determine whether it has changed over time, with results published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Injury Center:

Appropriate diagnosis and management of children and teens with mild traumatic brain injury (TBI), including concussion, can help safeguard the health of young Americans.

Hearing loss that occurs gradually as you age (presbycusis) is common, according to the Mayo Clinic. According to the National Institutes of Health, an estimated one-third of people in the United States between the ages of 65 and 75 and close to one-half of those older than 75 have some degree of hearing loss.

A report on the health of children as it relates to the environment shows that fewer U.S. children are being exposed to lead, tobacco smoke and air pollution, but more are developing asthma.