Smoking may increase odds of Meniere disease in men

For men, smoking is positively related and alcohol consumption is negatively related to the risk for Meniere disease (MD), according to a study published online Aug. 26 in the Journal of Clinical Medicine.

So Young Kim, Ph.D., from the CHA University in Seongnam, South Korea, and colleagues examined the association of smoking, alcohol consumption, and obesity with MD among the population older than 40 years of age in the Korean National Health Insurance Service-Health Screening Cohort from 2002 to 2019. A total of 15,208 MD patients were matched with 499,658 controls.

The researchers found that in the overall adult population, there was no association for smoking and alcohol consumption with MD. The odds of MD were lower in association with being underweight (adjusted odds ratio, 0.80; 95 percent confidence interval, 0.68 to 0.93; P = 0.004). Smoking was positively associated with MD in men, while there was a negative association observed for alcohol consumption with MD (adjusted odds ratios, 1.08 [95 percent confidence interval, 1.00 to 1.17; P = 0.043] and 0.87 [95 percent confidence interval, 0.81 to 0.94; P < 0.001], respectively).

"The current study improved previous knowledge on the associated factors of MD by concurrently assessing multiple lifestyle factors, including smoking, alcohol consumption, and obesity," the authors write. "As these are modifiable factors, lifestyle modifications can be clinically valuable management strategies for patients who suffer from MD."