A study on the epidemiology of tinnitus in the United Kingdom

Abstract

Purpose

Subjective tinnitus is a common symptom with potentially negative impact on quality of life. More research is required to gain a deeper understanding of the disease and its clinical presentation. To estimate the incidence of tinnitus and to describe patient-related characteristics such as lifestyle factors and comorbidities.

Patients and methods

Using the Clinical Practice Research Datalink, we calculated incidence rates of first-time diagnosed tinnitus in an adult population between 2000 and 2016. We stratified incidence rates by sex, age, and year of diagnosis. Additionally, we performed a 1:1 matched case-control study comparing body mass index, lifestyle factors and selected comorbidities between patients with incident tinnitus and tinnitus-free controls.

Results

We identified 109 783 adults with a first-time diagnosis of tinnitus between 2000 and 2016, yielding an overall age-standardized incidence rate of 25.0 new tinnitus cases per 10,000 person-years (95% CI: 24.6–25.5). There was a steady increase in tinnitus incidence throughout the study period. Approximately 80% of tinnitus cases were diagnosed at age 40 years or older. We observed the highest incidence rate in individuals aged 60–69 years (41.2 per 10,000 person-years, 95% CI: 40.7–41.7). Smokers and alcohol drinkers were at lower risk of being diagnosed with tinnitus compared with non-smokers and non-drinkers, respectively. The occurrence of tinnitus was strongly associated with a recent diagnosis of several otological and vestibular disorders as well as head and neck disorders.

Conclusion

The present observational study found an increasing incidence of tinnitus over time, emphasizing the continuously growing health burden. The findings on patient characteristics, lifestyle factors, and selected comorbidities contribute to a better understanding of risk factors for tinnitus.

Keywords:

• case-control study
• clinical practice research datalink
• lifestyle factors
• incidence rates
• tinnitus

Supplementary materials

Table S1 Incidence rates of tinnitus diagnosed in the UK between 2000 and 2016

Table S2 Distribution of patient characteristics and lifestyle factors in patients with tinnitus and their matched controls, stratified by sex

Table S3 Distribution of comorbidities in patients with tinnitus and their matched controls, stratified by sex: otological and vestibular disorders

Table S4 Distribution of comorbidities in patients with tinnitus and their matched controls, stratified by sex: head and neck disorders

Acknowledgment

We thank Pascal Egger for technical support and programming. Velux Foundation, Switzerland. The sponsor was not involved in any stage from study design to submission of the manuscript for publication.

Data sharing statement

Data for this study were derived from CPRD primary care data obtained under license from the UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency. The data is provided by patients and collected by the NHS as part of their care and support. The interpretation and conclusions contained in the study are those of the authors alone.

Disclosure

The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work.