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HEARING aids could reduce the risk of dementia in the hard of hearing, a study published in the Lancet suggested. Analysing the health records of thousands of people with varying levels of deafness, researchers found that those without hearing aids had a 42 per cent higher risk of developing dementia. “Our study provides the best evidence to date that hearing aids could be a minimally invasive, cost­effective treatment to mitigate the potential impact of hearing loss on dementia,” the study concluded.

people, half of whom had already experienced a stroke.

They found that the stroke risk doubled for par­

Too much of a good thing

DRINK coffee for a headache.

When your head pounds, blood vessels swell, producing greater blood flow around the brain. This increased blood flow pressures surrounding nerves, which send pain messages to the brain, bringing on the headache.

Caffeine has vaso­constrictive properties so blood vessels narrow to restrict blood flow, alleviating the pain.

Be careful, however, because the body becomes dependent on caffeine and reducing or eliminating consumption triggers withdrawal symptoms.

ticipants sleeping more than nine hours a night, compared with those who were getting between seven and nine.

Results also revealed that people who slept less than five hours were three times more likely to suffer a stroke.

It was not clear why too much or too little sleep increased the risk, admitted Dr Christine McCarthy who led the research, although her team’s findings suggested this could indicate other underlying health issues.

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SHORT SNOOZE: Better for one’s health than a long siesta.