A new Brandeis University study of twins shows that genes play a significant role in hearing loss experienced by baby boomers and their parents. The research is published in the latest issue of the Journal of Gerontology: Medical Sciences.

The study examined 179 identical and 150 fraternal male twin pairs, 52 to 60 years old, as part of the Viet Nam Era Twin Study of Aging. About two-thirds of the hearing loss in the individual subjects' better ears could be attributed to genetic factors.

The research suggests that boomers whose parents lost hearing may have a similar loss, said Sergie Kochkin, director of the Better Hearing Institute. He suggests having parents get their hearing tested is a great present this holiday season. And boomers should get their hearing tested, too.

"This research confirms the importance of genetic factors in age-associated hearing loss, and the need for vulnerable individuals and their families to take extra care to prevent further hearing damage," said lead author, Brandeis neuroscientist Arthur Wingfield.

Wingfield, an expert on the relationship between memory performance and hearing loss in older adults, said even mild hearing loss can indirectly lead to declines in cognitive performance because intellectual energy normally reserved for higher-level comprehension must be directed toward perceptual effort for accurately hearing speech.

Hearing loss is the third most common chronic disability among older adults after arthritis and hypertension. It can strike at any time and at any age. Unaddressed, hearing loss can affect virtually every aspect of an individual's life. Untreated hearing loss has been connected to physical and emotional conditions such as irritability, negativism, anger, fatigue, tension, stress, depression, avoidance or withdrawal from social situations, social rejection and loneliness.