Epidemiological Evidence for Upper Respiratory Infections as a Potential Risk Factor for Meniere's Disease: A Korean National Health Sample Cohort Study

Meniere's disease (MD) is a chronic inner ear disorder characterized by tinnitus, ear fullness, episodic vertigo, and fluctuating hearing loss, which significantly impacts quality of life and poses management challenges. Recent evidence suggests that upper respiratory infections (URIs) may contribute to MD's onset. This study examines the potential link between URIs and MD using data from the Korean National Health Insurance Service-National Sample Cohort (2002-2019). We analyzed 19,721 individuals with MD and 78,884 matched controls, adjusting for demographic factors and comorbidities using propensity score matching. Our results showed that individuals with a URI within one year prior to the index date exhibited a 2.01-fold greater likelihood of developing MD (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.91-2.11, p < 0.001), while those with URIs within two years demonstrated a 1.54-fold higher probability (95% CI = 1.50-1.59, p < 0.001). Furthermore, we found that even remote URIs occurring up to two years before the index date significantly increased the risk of developing MD, underscoring the need for long-term patient follow-up. Overall, our study suggests that individuals with a history of URI may have an elevated risk of developing MD over multiple time frames, regardless of demographic or health profiles.