Cardiovascular Risk Factors and Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo in Community Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery

Abstract

Objective

Cardiovascular risk factors have been associated with benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV), possibly causing degeneration of the utricular epithelium and subepithelium, but supportive evidence is mixed. This is the first study to examine the association between cardiovascular risk factors and BPPV as they present in the community practice of comprehensive otolaryngology–head and neck surgery.

Study Design

Cross-sectional case-matched case-control series.

Setting

A community practice of otolaryngology–head and neck surgery with 3 clinical offices and a socioeconomically diverse patient population.

Subjects and Methods

Clinical data were collected retrospectively from the electronic health records of a continuous 4-year series of 628 patients with BPPV and age- and sex-matched controls.

Results

There were no statistically significant associations found between BPPV and diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia, or body mass index in the study population in pairwise comparisons or multivariable modeling.

Conclusion

This study suggests that BPPV as encountered in a community ear, nose, and throat practice is not generally associated with cardiovascular risk factors. The possibility that these or other cardiovascular risk factors may be causative in some cases cannot be excluded, though most cases of BPPV appear to be caused primarily by shedding of otoconia from the utricle that is idiopathic or at least in part by unconfirmed noncardiovascular factors.