%0 Journal Article %T Nationwide Prevalence of Video Head Impulse Test Abnormality and its Risk Factors in South Korea. %A Suh MW %A Shim DB %A Kim MB %A Park MK %A Moon IJ %A Hong SK %A Oh K %A Kim Y %A Kim H %A Kim SH %J Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg %V 0 %N 0 %D 2024 Jun 17 %M 38881387 %F 5.591 %R 10.1002/ohn.856 %X OBJECTIVE: To identify the prevalence of and relevant information for video head impulse test (vHIT) abnormality in a large population.
METHODS: A cross-sectional design.
METHODS: Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2021.
METHODS: The sample was representative of the Korean population, with 2237 participants aged ≥40 years. A vHIT was performed to evaluate vestibular function. The vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) gain and the presence of reproducible catch-up saccades was assessed in a vHIT. Participants also completed questionnaires for demographics, socioeconomic status, and basic information regarding systemic diseases and dizziness and underwent hearing tests with automated pure-tone audiometry.
RESULTS: The prevalence of vHIT abnormality was 22.5%, with unilateral (14.3%) being more common than bilateral (8.2%). The prevalence of vHIT abnormality increased significantly with age, with the highest rate observed in individuals aged >70 years (42.5%). Both hearing and VOR gain deteriorated with age, but the patterns of age-related progression were different. While hearing loss (HL) deteriorated gradually and progressively throughout adulthood, VOR gain deterioration was markedly evident after 70 years of age.
CONCLUSIONS: Considering the high prevalence of vHIT abnormality, appropriate social and medical policies are needed to prevent associated injuries and improve patients' quality of life. The distinct age-related changes in HL and objective findings of vestibular dysfunction indicate the need for different approaches to address these social problems in aging countries.