Risk of stroke among patients with rhinosinusitis: a population-based study in Taiwan.
BACKGROUND
Research has found evidence that chronic inflammation may promote atherosclerotic disease. The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that rhinosinusitis is a risk factor for stroke.


METHODS
This prospective cohort study comprised patients recorded on the Taiwan Longitudinal Health Insurance Database 2005 (LHID2005) who had received a diagnosis of rhinosinusitis (n = 53,653) between January 1, 2004 and December 31, 2005. A control group (1:4) drawn from the same database was matched for age and gender (n = 214,624). Each patient was followed up using data entered until the end of 2006. Cox proportional hazard regressions were performed to evaluate the hazard ratios (HRs) after adjusting for potential confounding factors.


RESULTS
We found that patients with rhinosinusitis were more likely to suffer strokes than the control population, after adjusting for potential confounders (adjusted HR, 1.39; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.28~1.50). The HR of stroke was 1.39 (95% CI, 1.28~1.51) for acute sinusitis patients, and 1.34 (95% CI, 1.04~1.74) for chronic sinusitis patients.


CONCLUSIONS
Both acute and chronic sinusitis are risk factors or markers for stroke that is independent of traditional stroke risk factors. Further research in this important area of epidemiology is warranted.
Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Shuang Ho Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.
Chin-Wen
CW
Wu
Pin-Zhir
PZ
Chao
Wen-Rui
WR
Hao
Tsan-Hon
TH
Liou
Hui-Wen
HW
Lin
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012220:Rhinitis / Q000150:complications*; D012306:Risk; D012852:Sinusitis / Q000150:complications*; D020521:Stroke / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D013624:Taiwan / Q000453:epidemiology