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Published on: February 21, 2018
Population-Based Study on the Epidemiology of Ménière's Disease
Saskia G Bruderer1, Daniel Bodmer, Nadja A Stohler
1Basel Pharmacoepidemiology Unit, Division of Clinical Pharmacy and Epidemiology, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
Background And Objective:
Ménière's disease (MD) is a disorder of the inner ear typically showing recurrent acute episodes of vertigo, hearing loss, and tinnitus. Epidemiologic studies on MD are scarce. We assessed the incidence rates (IRs) of MD and describe the characteristics of MD cases, comparing them to control patients without recorded evidence of MD.
Study Design:
We conducted a retrospective population-based follow-up study and a nested case-control analysis using data from the UK-based Clinical Practice Research Datalink.
Methods:
We identified patients between 18 and 79 years of age with an incident MD diagnosis between January 1993 and December 2014. We assessed the IRs of betahistine-treated MD. In the nested case-control analysis, we matched 4 controls to each MD case on sex, age, general practice, years of active history in the database, and calendar time. We conducted a χ2 test to present p values in order to compare the prevalence of demographics, comorbidities, and co-medication between cases and controls.
Results:
We identified 5,508 MD cases and 22,032 MD-free controls (65.4% females). The overall IR for MD in the UK was 13.1 per 100,000 person-years. More cases were female, and the mean age at diagnosis was 55.4 ± 13.7 years. Smoking and alcohol consumption were less prevalent among MD cases. Depression, other affective disorders, sleeping disorders, anxiety, and migraine were more prevalent among MD cases than among controls.
Conclusions:
MD is uncommon in primary care in the UK with a preponderance among females.
Insights
Ménière
Area of Science:
- Otolaryngology
- Epidemiology
- Internal Medicine
Background:
- Ménière's disease (MD) is an inner ear disorder characterized by vertigo, hearing loss, and tinnitus.
- Epidemiologic data on Ménière's disease prevalence and incidence are limited.
- Understanding MD's epidemiology is crucial for public health and clinical management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the incidence rates (IRs) of Ménière's disease in the UK.
- To characterize the demographic and clinical features of MD patients.
- To compare MD cases with a control group without MD.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective population-based follow-up study utilizing the UK Clinical Practice Research Datalink.
- Nested case-control analysis matching MD cases with controls.
- Inclusion criteria: 18-79 years, incident MD diagnosis (1993-2014).
Main Results:
- Overall MD incidence rate in the UK: 13.1 per 100,000 person-years.
- 5,508 MD cases identified; 65.4% were female.
- MD cases showed higher prevalence of depression, anxiety, sleep disorders, and migraine compared to controls.
Conclusions:
- Ménière's disease is relatively uncommon in UK primary care.
- The disease predominantly affects females.
- Associated comorbidities like affective and sleep disorders are more common in MD patients.
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