Association Between Atopic Dermatitis and Meniere's Disease: Nationwide Cohort Study

Objectives: Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic inflammatory skin condition characterized by relapsing and remitting episodes. Although AD is well-known for its association with other allergic conditions, its relationship with Meniere's disease has not been thoroughly investigated. This study aimed to explore the potential correlation between AD and Meniere's disease.

Methods: This study utilized data from the National Health Insurance Service-National Sample Cohort, a nationwide population-based database. The AD group was selected from a cohort of 1 million individuals randomly extracted from database. A non-AD group was obtained through Propensity Score Matching.

Results: The AD group comprised 84,579 individuals, with an equal number of individuals in the non-AD (control) group. The overall hazard ratio (HR) for Meniere's disease in the AD group was 1.44 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.31-1.6). Subgroup analysis showed an adjusted HR of 0.42 (95% CI: 0.38-0.48) for Meniere's disease in males, 4.99 (95% CI: 4.45-5.62) in the middle-aged group (40-59 years), and 8.21 (95% CI: 7.21-9.35) in the older age group (≥60 years). Additionally, the adjusted HRs for developing Meniere's disease were higher in patients with comorbidities, including allergic rhinitis (1.18 [95% CI, 1.07-1.32]), allergic contact dermatitis (1.32 [95% CI, 1.19-1.48]), and allergic conjunctivitis (1.54 [95% CI, 1.32-1.82]).

Conclusion: Long-term follow-up revealed that the prevalence of Meniere's disease was 1.44 times higher in the AD group compared to the control group. Moreover, older age, female sex, allergic rhinitis, allergic contact dermatitis, and allergic conjunctivitis were identified as factors that increase the risk of developing Meniere's disease.

Level of evidence: 3 Laryngoscope, 2024.