Epidemiology and Seasonal Variation of Ménière's Disease: Data from a Population-Based Study

Ménière's disease (MD) is a disease of the inner ear. In Asian countries, there is one previous epidemiologic study that used a retrospective survey of a specific district. Previous studies have demonstrated that weather variables are strongly associated with symptom aggravation in MD. However, no study has reported on seasonal variation of MD.

We conducted a retrospective population-based study using the Korean national health insurance claims database (NHICD). In the present study, the prevalence and incidence of MD from 2013 to 2017 were calculated. Prevalence and incidence of MD according to sex, age group, and monthly incidence are presented. Seasonal incidence was calculated for four seasons. The seasonal average humidity and atmospheric pressure were also calculated.

The incidence rate of MD showed a rapid yearly increase from 2013 to 2017 in Korea. The prevalence and incidence rate by age group continued to increase up to the 70 year olds. The female-to-male ratio was 2.17. The seasonal incidence of MD was relatively high in summer and autumn and relatively low in winter and spring; however, there were no significant differences.

The rapid progression to an aging society, increase in medical accessibility, and lifestyle changes could be the reasons for the elevation of the incidence rate in the Korean population. Consistent with a previous study, the incidence of MD was higher in seasons with high humidity and low atmospheric pressure; however, there were no significant differences. Further studies about the relationship between diet and MD, seasonality of MD with long-term analysis, and investigating the underlying mechanisms connecting weather and MD are needed.