A Nationwide Population-Based Study on the Association between Land Transport Accident and Peripheral Vestibular Disorders

Incidence of Subsequent Injuries Associated with a New Diagnosis of Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo and Effects of Treatment: A Nationwide Cohort Study

Background/Objectives: Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) is the most common cause of recurrent vertigo and the most common peripheral vestibular disorder. It is characterized by intense vertigo triggered by head and position changes. This study investigates the risk of subsequent injury in BPPV patients and the effects of treatment. Methods: A population-based retrospective cohort study was conducted using data from the Longitudinal Health Insurance Database 2005 in Taiwan. Patients with and without BPPV were identified between 2000 and 2017. The study outcomes were diagnoses of all-cause injuries. The Kaplan-Meier method determined the cumulative incidence rates of injury in both cohorts, and a log-rank test analyzed the differences. Cox proportional hazard models calculated each cohort's 18-year hazard ratios (HRs). Results: We enrolled 50,675 patients with newly diagnosed BPPV and 202,700 matched individuals without BPPV. During follow-up, 47,636 patients were diagnosed with injuries (13,215 from the BPPV cohort and 34,421 from the non-BPPV cohort). The adjusted HR for injury in BPPV patients was 2.63 (95% CI, 2.49-2.88). Subgroup analysis showed an increased incidence of unintentional and intentional injuries in BPPV patients (aHR 2.86; 95% CI, 2.70-3.13 and 1.10; 95% CI, 1.04-1.21, respectively). A positive dose-response relationship was observed with increasing BPPV diagnoses. Treatment with canalith repositioning therapy (CRT) or medications reduced the risk of injury slightly but not significantly (aHR, 0.78; 95% CI, 0.37-1.29, 0.88; 95% CI, 0.40-1.40, respectively). Conclusions: BPPV is independently associated with an increased risk of injuries. CRT or medications have limited effects on mitigating this risk. Physicians should advise BPPV patients to take precautions to prevent injuries even after treatment.

Increased Risk of Injury in Ménière's Disease and Effects of Treatment: Population-Based Retrospective Cohort Study

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the risk of injury in patients with Ménière's disease (MD) and the effects of treatment.

STUDY DESIGN

Population-based retrospective cohort study.

SETTING

Data were collected from the Longitudinal Health Insurance Database 2005, containing the information of 2 million randomly selected individuals in Taiwan.

METHODS

We enrolled 90,481 patients with newly diagnosed MD between 2000 and 2017 and 361,924 matched individuals without MD. The study outcomes were diagnoses of all-cause injuries. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to determine the cumulative incidence rates of injury in the MD and non-MD cohorts, and a log-rank test was used to analyze the differences between the cohorts. Cox proportional hazards models were used to calculate the 18-year hazard ratios of each cohort.

RESULTS

A total of 80,151 patients were diagnosed with injuries during the follow-up period: 24,031 and 56,120 from the MD and non-MD cohorts, respectively. The adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) was 2.19 (95% CI, 2.16-2.35) after adjusting for demographic characteristics and comorbidities. Subgroup analysis revealed that MD was associated with an increased incidence of unintentional and intentional injuries (aHR, 2.24 [95% CI, 2.21-2.41] and 2.05 [95% CI, 2.01-2.19], respectively). Treatment with diuretics, antivertigo medications, or surgery did not reduce the risk of injury (aHR, 0.98 [95% CI, 0.59-1.54], 0.94 [95% CI, 0.58-1.50], and 0.99 [95% CI, 0.61-1.54]).

CONCLUSION

MD is independently associated with an increased risk of injuries. Medical or surgical treatment for MD does not reduce the risk of injury in patients with MD. Physicians should counsel patients with MD regarding preventive measures for avoiding subsequent injuries.