Clinical Significance of Arterial Stiffness and Metabolic Syndrome Scores in Vestibular Neuritis

OBJECTIVE:To investigate the clinical significance of cardiovascular factors, including arterial stiffness and metabolic syndrome scores, in the development of vestibular neuritis. STUDY DESIGN:A prospective, case-control study. SETTING:Tertiary referral center. PATIENTS:Fifty-eight adult patients with vestibular neuritis (VN) and 58 age- and sex-matched controls were evaluated between January 2015 and January 2016. INTERVENTION:Measurement of arterial stiffness. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES:Arterial stiffness was assessed from brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV), and cardiovascular markers including blood pressure, body mass index and lipid profiles, and metabolic syndrome scores were determined. The dizziness handicap inventory (DHI) and vestibular function tests, including the caloric test and video head impulse test were evaluated. The correlations between cardiovascular factors and clinical parameters of VN were assessed. RESULTS:Blood pressure, baPWV, and metabolic syndrome scores were higher in the VN group than in the control group (p = 0.002, p = 0.001, and p = 0.001, respectively), whereas comorbidity, anthropometric characteristics, and lipid profiles did not differ significantly. baPWV and metabolic syndrome scores were not correlated with the clinical parameters of the DHI scores, canal paresis, and spontaneous nystagmus duration. In addition, cardiovascular factors did not associate with the vestibular compensation. CONCLUSIONS:Higher baPWV, representative of arterial stiffness, and higher metabolic syndrome scores, are associated with the development of VN. This supports the hypothesis of a vascular etiology of the disease. However, cardiovascular risk factors had limited value in predicting the clinical course of VN.