title: Meniere's disease: importance of socioeconomic and environmental factors.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  1. Describe the prevalence of Meniere's disease in the United States. 2. Recognize important patient and environmental factors in Meniere's disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  • Discharge data from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample, the largest US all-payer inpatient care database was analyzed for Meniere's disease between 2008 and 2010 in patients > 10 years old. Patient characteristics including prevalence, age, sex, race, household income, and geographic location were studied to determine any correlation with disease prevalence. • T-test, Chi-square and logistic regression testing was used to compare the differences between groups for continuous and categorical data.
  
  
  RESULTS
  • The lower limit of Meniere's prevalence in the United States population was 73 per 100,000, females 84 per 100,000 compared to 56 per 100,000 among males (OR = 1.51, 95% CI 1.48-1.54, P < 0.01). • Prevalence was highest in Caucasians 91 per 100,000, and was significantly higher than other ethnic groups (P < 0.05). • Prevalence increased as age with the highest prevalence found in 81-90 year age group. • Midwest prevalence (94 per 100,000) was significantly higher than other regions (P < 0.001). • Meniere's is more common in less populated locations and the prevalence decreased as population increased. • Meniere's prevalence increased with household income. The highest prevalence was found among the 76th-100th quartile with rates of 86 per 100,000 for MD.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Environmental factors, race and ethnicity, gender and age appear to be important factors in the prevalence of Meniere's disease.
authors.affiliation: College of Medicine & Life Sciences, The University of Toledo, 3000 Arlington Avenue, Toledo, OH.
authors.forename: Hermann
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Simo
authors.affiliation: College of Medicine & Life Sciences, The University of Toledo, 3000 Arlington Avenue, Toledo, OH.
authors.forename: Shiayin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Division of Vascular Surgery, The University of Toledo Medical Center, 3000 Arlington Avenue MS #1095, Toledo, OH.
authors.forename: Weikai
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Qu
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Maimonides Medical Center, 4802 Tenth Avenue, Brooklyn, NY.
authors.forename: Michal
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Preis
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Division of Vascular Surgery, The University of Toledo Medical Center, 3000 Arlington Avenue MS #1095, Toledo, OH.
authors.forename: Munier
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nazzal
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Division of Otolaryngology, The University of Toledo Medical Center, 3000 Arlington Avenue MS #1095, Toledo, OH. Electronic address: reginald.baugh@utoledo.edu.
authors.forename: Reginald
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Baugh
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008575:Meniere Disease / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D044465:White People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D055815:Young Adult