Audiovestibular Symptoms in Osteoporotic Postmenopausal Dominican Women

Introduction: Previous publications have suggested a link between decreased bone mineral density (BMD) and audiovestibular symptoms. Being the first study, to our knowledge, in the Caribbean region, we aimed to determine the relationship between hearing impairment, vertigo, and tinnitus with BMD in a Dominican postmenopausal population diagnosed with osteoporosis. Methods: A retrospective, cross-sectional, single-center study was conducted. Patients were enrolled using a previous database of Dominican postmenopausal women from 2008 to 2015, including a total of 101 participants. Patients were questioned for hearing difficulty, tinnitus, and vertigo. Body mass index (BMI), Bone Mineral Density (BMD) using T-scores, FRAX score, serum levels of 25-(OH) vitamin D, corrected calcium, phosphate, albumin, alkaline phosphatase, and smoking history were assessed. Statistical analysis was conducted using Chi-square, Mann-Whitney U test, and Odds Ratio. Results: Median age was 74 years with an interquartile range (IQR) of 12. Fifty-six patients had osteoporosis and 42 osteopenia. Women with osteoporosis diagnosed using a femoral neck T-score demonstrated a greater level of association as well as higher odds of developing vertigo and hearing difficulty than those diagnosed using a hip T-score. Conclusion: Special attention to the otologic evaluation of these patients as well as increasing the referral to a specialized consult is suggested. Additional multicenter prospective national studies are needed.