Comorbidities and impact on quality of life in patients with Ménière's disease: a single-center cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND

Ménière's disease (MD) is a chronic vestibular disorder that significantly impacts patients' quality of life (QoL). However, the influence of comorbid conditions on QoL in MD patients remains inadequately explored.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the prevalence of comorbidities in patients with MD and analyze their impact on patients' QoL.

METHODS

A cross-sectional analysis was conducted on 473 MD patients who received treatment in our hospital. Demographic data, comorbidity information, psychological symptoms (assessed by Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, HAD) and QoL (evaluated by Ménière's disease Quality of Life Questionnaire, MDoQ) were collected. Spearman correlation analysis was used to explore the relationship between comorbidities and QoL scores, and independent-samples t-test was applied for intergroup comparison. A multiple linear regression analysis was conducted to identify comorbidities influencing MDoQ.

RESULTS

The study included 328 females (69.3%) and 145 males (30.7%) with a mean age of 45.6 ± 14.5 years and an average disease duration of 4.5 ± 2.0 years. The most common comorbidities were hypertension (49.0%), sleep disorders (36.6%), and diabetes mellitus (28.8%). Clear anxiety symptoms were observed in 59.2% of subjects, whereas distinct depressive symptoms were detected in 53.9%. The mean MDoQ score was 43.62 ± 12.50 (range: 25-76). Correlation analysis revealed that hypertension (r = -0.521, p < 0.001), diabetes mellitus (r = -0.459, p < 0.001), sleep disorders (r = -0.447, p < 0.001), anxiety (r = -0.438, p < 0.001) and depression (r = -0.391, p < 0.001) were strongly negatively correlated with MDoQ scores. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that hypertension, diabetes, sleep disorder, migraine, thyroid disease and anxiety symptoms were significant factors affecting the QoL of patients with MD (F = 114.18, p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

Comorbidities are highly prevalent in MD patients, with hypertension, sleep disorders and diabetes mellitus being the most common. These comorbidities, together with the high incidence of anxiety and depression, significantly impair patients' QoL. Comprehensive management of MD should include systematic screening, early intervention for common comorbidities and psychological support to improve patients' clinical outcomes and QoL.