TY - JOUR
T1 - Dizziness and vertigo in an older population
T2 - the Blue Mountains prospective cross-sectional study
AU - Gopinath, B.
AU - McMahon, C. M.
AU - Rochtchina, E.
AU - Mitchell, P.
PY - 2009/12
Y1 - 2009/12
N2 - Objectives: We aimed to reassess the prevalence and personal burden of dizziness/vertigo, and to assess the relationship with hearing loss and tinnitus in older adults. Design: Prospective cross-sectional study. Setting: Blue Mountains region, west of Sydney, Australia. Participants: We examined 2751 of 2956 (aged 50+ years) Blue Mountains Hearing Study participants. Main outcome measures: Audiologists screened participants for reported dizziness using a single question. Questions from the Dizziness Handicap Inventory were used to assess the impacts of dizziness/vertigo. Hearing impairment was determined as the pure-tone average of audiometric hearing thresholds at 500, 1000, 2000 and 4000 Hz (PTA0.5-4 KHz), defining any hearing loss as PTA 0.5-4 KHz >25 dB HL. Presence of tinnitus was assessed by a positive response to a single question. Quality of life was measured using the Short Form 36-item Health Survey (SF-36). Each SF-36 dimension was scored from 0 (worst possible health state) to 100 (best possible health state). Results: Prevalences of dizziness/vertigo, vestibular vertigo and non-vestibular vertigo were 36.2%, 10.0% and 14.2%, respectively. Of the dizziness/vertigo reports, 27.7% and 39.3%, respectively, were attributed to vestibular and non-vestibular vertigo. Tinnitus was associated with dizziness, odds ratio, OR, 1.99 (95% confidence interval, CI, 1.68-2.35). However, hearing loss was not associated with dizziness/vertigo. Participants reporting dizziness/vertigo had lower quality of life scores (P < 0.0001). Participants reporting vestibular vertigo were more likely than those with non-vestibular vertigo to report higher DHI scale scores or a greater handicap. Conclusion: Our findings highlight the burden imposed by dizziness, indicating dizziness/vertigo are important public health care issues.
AB - Objectives: We aimed to reassess the prevalence and personal burden of dizziness/vertigo, and to assess the relationship with hearing loss and tinnitus in older adults. Design: Prospective cross-sectional study. Setting: Blue Mountains region, west of Sydney, Australia. Participants: We examined 2751 of 2956 (aged 50+ years) Blue Mountains Hearing Study participants. Main outcome measures: Audiologists screened participants for reported dizziness using a single question. Questions from the Dizziness Handicap Inventory were used to assess the impacts of dizziness/vertigo. Hearing impairment was determined as the pure-tone average of audiometric hearing thresholds at 500, 1000, 2000 and 4000 Hz (PTA0.5-4 KHz), defining any hearing loss as PTA 0.5-4 KHz >25 dB HL. Presence of tinnitus was assessed by a positive response to a single question. Quality of life was measured using the Short Form 36-item Health Survey (SF-36). Each SF-36 dimension was scored from 0 (worst possible health state) to 100 (best possible health state). Results: Prevalences of dizziness/vertigo, vestibular vertigo and non-vestibular vertigo were 36.2%, 10.0% and 14.2%, respectively. Of the dizziness/vertigo reports, 27.7% and 39.3%, respectively, were attributed to vestibular and non-vestibular vertigo. Tinnitus was associated with dizziness, odds ratio, OR, 1.99 (95% confidence interval, CI, 1.68-2.35). However, hearing loss was not associated with dizziness/vertigo. Participants reporting dizziness/vertigo had lower quality of life scores (P < 0.0001). Participants reporting vestibular vertigo were more likely than those with non-vestibular vertigo to report higher DHI scale scores or a greater handicap. Conclusion: Our findings highlight the burden imposed by dizziness, indicating dizziness/vertigo are important public health care issues.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=73649126951&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1111/j.1749-4486.2009.02025.x
DO - 10.1111/j.1749-4486.2009.02025.x
M3 - Article
C2 - 20070765
AN - SCOPUS:73649126951
SN - 1749-4478
VL - 34
SP - 552
EP - 556
JO - Clinical Otolaryngology
JF - Clinical Otolaryngology
IS - 6
ER -