Arteriosclerotic changes as background factors in patients with peripheral vestibular disorders

Symptoms such as vertigo and unsteady gait occur in various diseases and are among the relatively common chief complaints. Even at present, the mechanisms underlying these disorders are unclear. We considered the possibility of peripheral vestibular disorders correlating with lifestyle-related illnesses. Under these circumstances, we assessed correlations of lifestyle-related illness as background factors for peripheral vestibular disorders and associated arteriosclerotic changes. Using carotid ultrasonography, we assessed maximum intima-media thickness (max IMT) and maximum common carotid artery IMT and evaluated biochemical examinations in 85 patients with peripheral vertigo. The patients were divided into two groups: those with benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) and those with peripheral vestibular disorders. The frequency of abnormal IMT was significantly higher in those in the BPPV group. Calculating for average age, max IMT was significantly higher in the BPPV group. The correlation coefficient between age and max IMT was 0.343 (p < .001). All other correlation coefficients also reached statistical significance. Our results indicate that cervical ultrasonography is useful for noninvasive examination of arteriosclerotic changes in patients with peripheral vestibular disorders. Our results also indicated that peripheral vestibular disorder patients show progression of arteriosclerotic changes.