Dizziness in the elderly: diagnosing its causes in a multidisciplinary dizziness unit

Area of Science:

• Geriatrics
• Neurology
• Otolaryngology

Background:

• Dizziness is a common and often complex complaint in elderly patients.
• Multidisciplinary evaluation is crucial for diagnosing the diverse causes of dizziness in this population.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the etiological factors of dizziness in patients aged 70 years and older.
• To compare dizziness causes in elderly patients with younger cohorts and existing literature.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 731 patients (≥70 years) evaluated at a multidisciplinary dizziness clinic.
• Simultaneous assessment by ENT surgeons and neurologists to identify dizziness causes.
• Comparison with a cohort of 2,556 younger patients and published studies.

Main Results:

• The etiology of dizziness was identified in 84.8% of elderly patients.
• Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) was the most frequent cause (27.6%).
• Hyperventilation/anxiety was the second most common diagnosis (15.3%).

Conclusions:

• The cause of dizziness can be diagnosed in the majority of elderly patients.
• BPPV and anxiety-related conditions are significant contributors to dizziness in older adults.
• Findings highlight the importance of specialized clinics for geriatric dizziness evaluation.