Hypothyroidism is an independent risk factor for Menière's disease: A population-based cohort study

The relationship of hypothyroidism and Menière's disease (MD) has been discussed before, yet not well documented. Our study aims to investigate the correlation of both diseases. This is a retrospective cohort study based on data from the LHID2000 (Longitudinal Health Insurance Database 2000), a subset of the Taiwan National Research Health Insurance Database that contains claims data for the 2000 to 2011 period. A total of 27,050 patients were included in this study, 5410 of whom had received a hypothyroidism diagnosis. The prevalence of MD was high in patients with hypothyroidism (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.14–1.51), especially in those older than 50 years old (P < .001). Although comorbidities such as hypertension or cirrhosis are significant risk factors for Menière's disease (P < .001, P < .05), the incidence rate of Menière's disease in patients with hypothyroidism differs significantly between groups without these comorbidities (95% CI: 1.14–1.95). Regarding the timing for the occurrence of Menière's disease in patients with hypothyroidism, there was a significant time interval of <5 years (P < .05). The risk of MD decreased after treatment with thyroxine and did not differ from that of the nonhypothyroidism cohort (adjusted HR [aHR] = 0.85, 95% CI: 0.66–1.11). The study demonstrates a significant association between hypothyroidism and Menière's disease, especially in elderly female patients. Physicians should consider verifying the thyroid function when encountering these patients.