Tinnitus as a potential risk factor for uveitis: A Nationwide Population-based cohort study in Taiwan.
Purpose
To investigate whether patients with tinnitus are at increased risk of uveitis.
Methods
This was a retrospective study conducted using data collected from the Taiwan National Health Insurance database. Patients newly diagnosed with tinnitus between 2001 and 2014 were recruited and followed up until 2018. The endpoint of interest was a diagnosis of uveitis.
Results
31,034 tinnitus patients and 124,136 matched comparisons were analyzed. Tinnitus patients were found to have a significantly higher cumulative incidence for uveitis than those without the diagnosis of tinnitus (incidence rate 1.68 (95% CI 1.55-1.82)/10000 person-months for tinnitus group and 1.48 (95% CI 1.42-1.54)/10000 person-months for non-tinnitus group). Through multivariate Cox proportional hazard regression analysis, the tinnitus group was found to have a significantly higher risk of developing uveitis (adjusted hazard ratio 1.09 (95% CI 1.0-1.2), p<0.05). After stratification by gender and age, increased risk of uveitis among tinnitus patients was observed among female population and aged between 50 and59 years old.
Conclusion
Patients with tinnitus were found to have increased risk of developing uveitis, mainly among females and the middle-aged group. Furthermore, patients with age greater than 50 years old, diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and abnormal renal function were also found to be risk factors for uveitis.
Conflict of interest
No
Authors 1
Last name
LIN
Initials of first name(s)
CJ
Department
Department of Ophthalmology
City
Taichung
Country
Taiwan
Authors 2
Last name
Chen
Initials of first name(s)
YJ
Department
Department of Ophthalmology
City
Taichung
Country
Taiwan
Authors 3
Last name
Hsu
Initials of first name(s)
A
Department
Department of General Medicine
City
Taichung
Country
Taiwan
Authors 4
Last name
Hsia
Initials of first name(s)
NY
Department
Department of Ophthalmology
City
Taichung
Country
Taiwan
Authors 5
Last name
Meng
Initials of first name(s)
PP
Department
Department of Ophthalmology
City
Taichung
Country
Taiwan
Authors 6
Last name
Liao
Initials of first name(s)
PL
Department
Department of Medical Research
City
Taichung
Country
Taiwan
Authors 7
Last name
Hsu
Initials of first name(s)
MY
Department
Department of Ophthalmology
City
Taichung
Country
Taiwan
Authors 8
Last name
Lai
Initials of first name(s)
CT
Department
Department of Ophthalmology
City
Taichung
Country
Taiwan
Authors 9
Last name
Chen
Initials of first name(s)
HS
Department
An-Shin Dialysis Center, NephroCare Ltd., Fresenius Medical Care,
City
Taichung
Country
Taiwan
Authors 10
Last name
Tsai
Initials of first name(s)
YY
Department
Department of Ophthalmology
City
Taichung
Country
Taiwan
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