Effects of short- and long-term exposure to air pollution and meteorological factors on Meniere’s disease

The association between air pollutants and Meniere’s disease has not been explored. The present study investigated the relationship between meteorological factors and air pollutants on Meniere’s disease. Participants, aged ≥ 40 years, of the Korean National Health Insurance Service-Health Screening Cohort were included in this study. The 7725 patients with Meniere’s disease were matched with 30,900 control participants. The moving average meteorological and air pollution data of the previous 7 days, 1 month, 3 months, and 6 months before the onset of Meniere’s disease were compared between the Meniere’s disease and control groups using conditional logistic regression analyses. Additional analyses were conducted according to age, sex, income, and residential area. Temperature range; ambient atmospheric pressure; sunshine duration; and levels of SO(2), NO(2), O(3), CO, and PM(10) for 1 month and 6 months were associated with Meniere’s disease. Adjusted ORs (odds ratios with 95% confidence interval [CI]) for 1 and 6 months of O(3) concentration were 1.29 (95% CI 1.23–1.35) and 1.31 (95% CI 1.22–1.42), respectively; that for the 1 and 6 months of CO concentration were 3.34 (95% CI 2.39–4.68) and 4.19 (95% CI 2.79–6.30), respectively. Subgroup analyses indicated a steady relationship of O(3) and CO concentrations with Meniere’s disease. Meteorological factors and air pollutants were associated with the rate of Meniere’s disease. In particular, CO and O(3) concentrations were positively related to the occurrence of Meniere’s disease.