Dizziness and vertigo in an older population: the Blue Mountains prospective cross-sectional study.
OBJECTIVE
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.


METHODS
Prospective cross-sectional study.


METHODS
Blue Mountains region, west of Sydney, Australia.


METHODS
We examined 2751 of 2956 (aged 50+ years) Blue Mountains Hearing Study participants.


METHODS
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 (PTA(0.5-4 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.


CONCLUSIONS
Our findings highlight the burden imposed by dizziness, indicating dizziness/vertigo are important public health care issues.
Gopinath
B
B
Centre for Vision Research, Department of Ophthalmology, Westmead Millennium Institute, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
McMahon
C M
CM
Rochtchina
E
E
Mitchell
P
P
D000368:Aged; D001301:Audiometry, Pure-Tone; D001309:Auditory Threshold / Q000502:physiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004244:Dizziness / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006311:Hearing Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014012:Tinnitus / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D014717:Vertigo / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*