Main findings
We identified statistically significant correlation between BPPV recurrences and age, indicating that recurrences are more likely in the elderly. We also identified a statistically significant correlation between age and having persistent BPPV. We did not identify any links between socioeconomic factors/deprivation in either recurrent or persistent BPPV. To our knowledge our study represents the first analysis of the association between socioeconomic variables and persistent or recurrent BPPV, not demonstrating, as above, any significant relationship between SIMD and having persistent BPPV, nor did it show any link between SIMD and having a higher number of recurrences of BPPV. This result is interesting as most disease processes appear to have a link with increased deprivation.6
Additionally, although a larger proportion of our patients had a diagnosis of the anxiety or depression, no relationship was found between having anxiety or depression and having more frequent or persistent BPPV. While previous work by Wei et al showed a statistically significant relationship between depression and recurrence of BPPV, in our cohort, we failed to show such correlation.7