Recruitment and baseline data of the Aging and Cognitive Health Evaluation in Elders (ACHIEVE) study: A randomized trial of a hearing loss intervention for reducing cognitive decline

Reed, Nicholas S.; Gravens‐Mueller, Lisa; Huang, Alison R.; Goman, Adele M.; Mitchell, Christine M.; Arnold, Michelle L.; Bolton, Spencer; Burgard, Sheila; Chisolm, Theresa H.; Couper, David; Deal, Jennifer A.; Evans, Joshua; Faucette, Sarah; Glynn, Nancy W.; Gmelin, Theresa; Hayden, Kathleen M.; Miller, Elizabeth; Minotti, Melissa; Mosley, Thomas; Naylor, Stacee; Pankow, James S.; Pike, James Russell; Sanchez, Victoria A.; Schrack, Jennifer A.; Coresh, Josef; Lin, Frank R.; for the ACHIEVE Collaborative Research Group

Abstract

INTRODUCTION
Hearing loss is highly prevalent among older adults and independently associated with cognitive decline. The Aging and Cognitive Health Evaluation in Elders (ACHIEVE) study is a multicenter randomized control trial (partially nested within the infrastructure of an observational cohort study, the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities [ARIC] study) to determine the efficacy of best-practice hearing treatment to reduce cognitive decline over 3 years. The goal of this paper is to describe the recruitment process and baseline results.

METHODS
Multiple strategies were used to recruit community-dwelling 70–84-year-old participants with adult-onset hearing loss who were free of substantial cognitive impairment from the parent ARIC study and de novo from the surrounding communities into the trial. Participants completed telephone screening, an in-person hearing, vision, and cognitive screening, and a comprehensive hearing assessment to determine eligibility.

RESULTS
Over a 24-month period, 3004 telephone screenings resulted in 2344 in-person hearing, vision, and cognition screenings and 1294 comprehensive hearing screenings. Among 1102 eligible, 977 were randomized into the trial (median age = 76.4 years; 53.5% female; 87.8% White; 53.3% held a Bachelor's degree or higher). Participants recruited through the ARIC study were recruited much earlier and were less likely to report hearing loss interfered with their quality of life relative to participants recruited de novo from the community. Minor differences in baseline hearing or health characteristics were found by recruitment route (i.e., ARIC study or de novo) and by study site.

DISCUSSION
The ACHIEVE study successfully completed enrollment over 2 years that met originally projected rates of recruitment. Substantial operational and scientific efficiencies during study startup were achieved through embedding this trial within the infrastructure of a longstanding and well-established observational study.

Highlights
The ACHIEVE study tests the effect of hearing intervention on cognitive decline.
The study is partially nested within an existing cohort study.
Over 2 years, 977 participants recruited and enrolled.
Eligibility assessed by telephone and in-person for hearing, vision, and cognitive screening.
The ACHIEVE study findings will have significant public health implications.

Citation

Reed, N. S., Gravens‐Mueller, L., Huang, A. R., Goman, A. M., Mitchell, C. M., Arnold, M. L., Bolton, S., Burgard, S., Chisolm, T. H., Couper, D., Deal, J. A., Evans, J., Faucette, S., Glynn, N. W., Gmelin, T., Hayden, K. M., Miller, E., Minotti, M., Mosley, T., Naylor, S., …for the ACHIEVE Collaborative Research Group. (2024). Recruitment and baseline data of the Aging and Cognitive Health Evaluation in Elders (ACHIEVE) study: A randomized trial of a hearing loss intervention for reducing cognitive decline. Alzheimer's and Dementia: Translational Research and Clinical Interventions, 10(1), Article e12453. https://doi.org/10.1002/trc2.12453

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Jan 21, 2024
• Online Publication Date: Feb 14, 2024
• Publication Date: 2024-01
• Deposit Date: Feb 15, 2024
• Publicly Available Date: Feb 15, 2024
• Journal: Alzheimer's & Dementia: Translational Research & Clinical Interventions
• Print ISSN: 2352-8737
• Electronic ISSN: 2352-8737
• Publisher: Wiley
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 10
• Issue: 1
• Article Number: e12453
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/trc2.12453
• Keywords: cognitive decline, dementia, hearing aids, hearing, randomized control trial
• Public URL: http://researchrepository.napier.ac.uk/Output/3511825