Peripheral Vestibulopathy Was Associated With Prior Atrial Fibrillation

There is increasing interest in the relationship between atrial fibrillation (AF) and peripheral vestibulopathy. The objective of this study was to investigate the association between peripheral vestibulopathy and prior AF in a nationwide, population-based cohort.

Using data from Taiwan's Longitudinal Health Insurance Database 2010, we carried out case-control research. In the period between 2016 and 2021, a total of 120,774 individuals aged ≥ 18 years were diagnosed with peripheral vestibulopathy for the first time. Using propensity-score matching based on sociodemographic characteristics and comorbidities, a control group of 483,096 people without peripheral vestibulopathy was chosen. Adjusted odds ratios (aORs) for the relationship between peripheral vestibulopathy and prior AF were calculated using multivariable logistic regression.

This study revealed that individuals with peripheral vestibulopathy had a substantially greater prevalence of previous AF than controls (1.53% vs. 1.28%; p < 0.001). Patients with peripheral vestibulopathy demonstrated a significantly elevated probability of a history of AF, a finding that remained consistent after adjusting for confounding variables (aOR = 1.211, 95% CI = 1.148-1.278). Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (aOR = 1.189, 95% CI = 1.045-1.352) and other/unspecified forms of peripheral vestibulopathy (aOR = 1.277, 95% CI = 1.199-1.360) among peripheral vestibulopathy subtypes showed a significant association. After adjustment, neither vestibular neuritis nor Meniere's illness showed any meaningful association.

The present study shows that there is a significant association between peripheral vestibulopathy and a prior diagnosis of AF. The findings suggest a potential link between vestibular dysfunction and cardiac arrhythmias, highlighting the need for further research into the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms.