Baseline Characteristics of Patients in the Development and Validation Cohorts
| Characteristic | Development Cohort (n = 203) | Validation Cohort (n = 415) |
|---|---|---|
| Unfavorable dizziness course,a No. (%) | 150 (73.9) | 181 (43.6) |
| Female, No. (%) | 127 (62.6) | 305 (73.5) |
| Age, mean (SD), y | 77.5 (7.0) | 78.5 (7.1) |
| Number of chronic diseases, mean (SD) | 1.8 (1.4) | 2.1 (1.4) |
| Number of drugs used, mean (SD) | 5.5 (3.6) | 4.4 (3.0) |
| Dizziness characteristics | ||
| DHI score,b mean (SD) [range] | 46.2 (13.4) [30–88] | 36.1 (19.9) [0–88] |
| Time since onset of dizziness, No. (%) | ||
| 0–4 weeks | 3 (1.5) | 29 (7.0) |
| 1–6 months | 34 (16.7) | 98 (23.6) |
| 6–48 months | 49 (24.1) | 109 (26.3) |
| 2–10 years | 74 (36.5) | 120 (28.9) |
| >10 years | 42 (21.2) | 59 (14.2) |
| Description of dizziness, No. (%)c | ||
| Instability or unsteadiness | 162 (79.8) | 280 (67.5) |
| Loss of balance | 165 (81.3) | 287 (69.2) |
| Lightheadedness | 145 (71.4) | 247 (59.5) |
| Rotational sensation | 137 (67.5) | 228 (54.9) |
| Tendency to fall | 135 (66.5) | 225 (54.2) |
| Giddy | 115 (56.7) | 176 (42.2) |
| Environment spinning | 84 (41.4) | 137 (33.0) |
| Becoming unwell | 60 (29.6) | 114 (27.5) |
| Near faint | 59 (29.1) | 96 (23.1) |
| Everything turning black | 39 (19.2) | 68 (16.4) |
DHI = Dizziness Handicap Inventory.
↵a At 6 months of follow-up.
b Score ranges from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating more severe dizziness-related impairment.
c Adds up to more than 100% because more than 1 answer was allowed.