Baseline Characteristics of Patients (N = 417)
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Demographics | |
| Age, mean (range), y | 79 (65.0-95.0) |
| Sex, female, No. (%) | 307 (73.6) |
| Ethnic background, No. (%) | |
| Dutch native | 342 (82.0) |
| Western immigrant | 31 (7.4) |
| Non-Western immigrant | 44 (10.6) |
| Level of education | |
| Low, No. (%) | 297 (71.2) |
| Middle or high, No. (%) | 120 (28.8) |
| Living situation, community-dwelling, No. (%) | 397 (95.2) |
| Smoking, No. (%) | 62 (14.9) |
| Medical history | |
| Cardiovascular disease, No. (%) | |
| Hypertension | 239 (57.3) |
| Ischemic heart disease | 111 (26.7) |
| Arrhythmia | 94 (22.5) |
| Heart valve disease | 58 (13.9) |
| Myocardial infarction | 57 (13.7) |
| Ear, nose, and throat disease, No. (%) | |
| Benign paroxysmal positional dizziness | 40 (9.8) |
| Ménière’s disease | 27 (6.5) |
| Acoustic neuroma | 1 (0.2) |
| Neurologic disease, No. (%) | |
| Migraine | 79 (18.9) |
| Stroke | 66 (15.8) |
| Parkinson disease | 7 (1.7) |
| Epilepsy | 6 (1.4) |
| Multiple sclerosis | 1 (0.2) |
| Locomotor disease, No. (%) | |
| Osteoarthritis of the knee | 120 (28.8) |
| Osteoarthritis of the hip | 78 (18.7) |
| Psychiatric illness, No. (%) | |
| Depressive disorder | 101 (24.2) |
| Anxiety disorder | 75 (18.0) |
| Other, No. (%) | |
| Diabetes | 78 (18.7) |
| Cataract | 199 (47.7) |
| Macular degeneration | 27 (6.5) |
| Drugs per patient, mean (SD) | 4 (3.0) |
| Polypharmacy (>5 drugs), No. (%) | 138 (33.0) |
| Dizziness characteristics | |
| Onset of dizziness symptoms, No. (%) | |
| 2-4 weeks | 30 (7.2) |
| 1-6 months | 98 (23.5) |
| 6-24 months | 110 (26.4) |
| 2-10 years | 120 (28.8) |
| >10 years | 59 (14.1) |
| Characteristic | Value |
| Demographics | |
| Age, mean (range), y | 79 (65.0-95.0) |
| Sex, female, No. (%) | 307 (73.6) |
| Ethnic background, No. (%) | |
| Dutch native | 342 (82.0) |
| Western immigrant | 31 (7.4) |
| Non-Western immigrant | 44 (10.6) |
| Level of education | |
| Low, No. (%) | 297 (71.2) |
| Middle or high, No. (%) | 120 (28.8) |
| Living situation, community-dwelling, No. (%) | 397 (95.2) |
| Smoking, No. (%) | 62 (14.9) |
| Medical history | |
| Cardiovascular disease, No. (%) | |
| Hypertension | 239 (57.3) |
| Ischemic heart disease | 111 (26.7) |
| Arrhythmia | 94 (22.5) |
| Heart valve disease | 58 (13.9) |
| Myocardial infarction | 57 (13.7) |
| Ear, nose, and throat disease, No. (%) | |
| Benign paroxysmal positional dizziness | 40 (9.8) |
| Ménière’s disease | 27 (6.5) |
| Acoustic neuroma | 1 (0.2) |
| Neurologic disease, No. (%) | |
| Migraine | 79 (18.9) |
| Stroke | 66 (15.8) |
| Parkinson disease | 7 (1.7) |
| Epilepsy | 6 (1.4) |
| Multiple sclerosis | 1 (0.2) |
| Locomotor disease, No. (%) | |
| Osteoarthritis of the knee | 120 (28.8) |
| Osteoarthritis of the hip | 78 (18.7) |
| Psychiatric illness, No. (%) | |
| Depressive disorder | 101 (24.2) |
| Anxiety disorder | 75 (18.0) |
| Other, No. (%) | |
| Diabetes | 78 (18.7) |
| Cataract | 199 (47.7) |
| Macular degeneration | 27 (6.5) |
| Drugs per patient, mean (SD) | 4 (3.0) |
| Polypharmacy (>5 drugs), No. (%) | 138 (33.0) |
| Dizziness characteristics | |
| Onset of dizziness symptoms, No. (%) | |
| 2-4 weeks | 30 (7.2) |
| 1-6 months | 98 (23.5) |
| 6-24 months | 110 (26.4) |
| 2-10 years | 120 (28.8) |
| >10 years | 59 (14.1) |
| Frequency, No. (%) | |
| Continuous | 42 (10.1) |
| Daily | 195 (46.8) |
| Weekly | 105 (25.2) |
| Monthly | 50 (12.0) |
| Annually | 25 (6.0) |
| Duration of symptoms, No. (%) | |
| <10 seconds | 110 (26.4) |
| 10-60 seconds | 78 (18.7) |
| Several minutes | 71 (17.0) |
| Several minutes to 1 hour | 22 (5.3) |
| >1 hour | 35 (8.4) |
| Constant when present | 26 (6.2) |
| Combination of durations | 75 (18.0) |
| Diagnostic tests | |
| Psychiatric diagnosis according to | |
| PRIME-MD PHQ, No. (%) | |
| Major depressive syndrome | 53 (12.7) |
| Panic disorder | 19 (4.6) |
| Other anxiety syndrome | 42 (10.1) |
| MDS, PD, or OAS | 90 (21.6) |
| Panel evaluation | |
| Dizziness subtype, No. (%) | |
| Presyncope | 288 (69.1) |
| Vertigo | 171 (41.0) |
| Disequilibrium | 166 (39.8) |
| Other dizziness | 7 (1.7) |
| No consensus | 16 (3.8) |
| Number of dizziness subtypes per participant, No. (%) | |
| 1 | 217 (52.0) |
| 2 | 137 (32.9) |
| 3 | 47 (11.2) |
| No consensus | 16 (3.8) |
| Primary cause of dizziness, No. (%) | |
| Cardiovascular disease (including cerebrovascular disease) | 237 (56.8) |
| Peripheral vestibular disease | 60 (14.4) |
| Other (psychiatric illness, locomotor disease, neurologic disease [excluding stroke], adverse drug effect, impaired vision, metabolic or endocrine conditions, or unclear disease) | 120 (28.8) |
MDS = major depressive syndrome; OAS = other anxiety syndrome; PD = panic disorder; PRIME-MD PHQ = Primary Care Evaluation of Mental Disorders Patient Health Questionnaire.