Influence of Age and Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Vestibular Neuritis: Retrospective Cohort Study

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Otolaryngology
• Vestibular System Disorders

Background:

• Vestibular neuritis (VN) is a common cause of acute vertigo.
• Understanding factors influencing VN recovery is crucial for patient management.
• The role of age and cardiovascular risk factors (CVRFs) in VN's long-term outcomes requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the influence of age and CVRFs on the evolution of vestibular neuritis (VN).
• To assess the impact of age and CVRFs on vestibular-ocular reflex (VOR) gain in VN patients.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective cohort study including 63 VN patients.
• Patients were categorized based on the presence or absence of CVRFs.
• Mean VOR gain, measured by video head impulse test (vHIT), was analyzed at diagnosis and one-year follow-up.
• Factorial analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to evaluate the effects of age, sex, and CVRFs on VOR gain.

Main Results:

• No significant differences in mean VOR gain were observed between patients with and without CVRFs.
• A significant difference in mean VOR gain at one-year follow-up was found between age groups: 0.77 ± 0.20 for those over 55 and 0.87 ± 0.15 for those under 55 (p=0.036).
• Factorial ANOVA revealed a significant main effect of age group on VOR gain at one-year follow-up (p=0.018).
• A significant interaction between gender, age group, and hypertension (HTN) on VOR gain was identified (p=0.043).

Conclusions:

• CVRFs do not independently influence the mean VOR gain in VN patients during follow-up.
• Age is a significant factor affecting VOR gain in VN patients.
• The impact of age on VOR gain may be modulated by gender and the presence of hypertension.