| Title: | Associations of Vestibular Disorders With Risk of All-Cause and Cause-Specific Dementia: A Longitudinal Cohort Study in UK Biobank |
| Journal: | Sensory Neuroscience |
| Published: | 14 Jan 2026 |
| DOI: | https://doi.org/10.1002/sen2.70019 |
| URL: | https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdfdirect/10.1002/sen2.70019 |
Publication 18529
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Abstract
ABSTRACT To explore associations of vestibular disorders with all-cause and cause-specific dementia and underlying biological mechanisms/neuroimaging changes. A population-based cohort study of 406,348 UK Biobank participants was conducted. Inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) balanced baseline covariates, and Cox proportional hazards models estimated hazard ratios (HRs) for dementia outcomes. Inflammatory markers, plasma metabolites, and brain structure changes were analyzed. During 13.9 (SD 2.1) years of follow-up, 6702 dementia cases occurred. Vestibular disorders were linked to higher risks of all-cause dementia (HR 1.86 and 95% CI 1.04-3.30), Alzheimer's disease (AD, 2.36, and 1.01-5.51), and vascular dementia (VD, 3.35, and 1.48-7.59). Eight metabolites (e.g., VLDL cholesterol, and histidine) mediated the vestibular disorder-dementia association. Vestibular disorders also correlated with alterations in dementia-related brain structures (cortex, subcortical regions, and white matter tracts). Vestibular disorders increase all-cause and cause-specific dementia risk. This modifiable factor should be incorporated into dementia prevention initiatives.</p>
Highlights In this large prospective cohort, vestibular disorders were associated with a significantly increased risk of all-cause dementia, Alzheimer's disease, and vascular dementia. The association between vestibular disorders and dementia was partially mediated by specific plasma metabolites, including VLDL cholesterol subclasses and histidine. Vestibular disorders were linked to structural changes in dementia-related brain regions, such as the hippocampus, entorhinal cortex, and temporal lobe. These findings identify vestibular disorders as a potentially modifiable risk factor, suggesting a new target for dementia prevention initiatives. </p>
16 Authors
- Xiaofei Li
- Fan Jiang
- Qiuyue Dong
- Hao Chen
- Hanbing Ji
- Alimu Dayimu
- Yifan Yu
- Guorong Li
- Na Li
- Peipei Fu
- Qi Jing
- Maoli Duan
- Hongkai Li
- Shanquan Chen
- Daogong Zhang
- Haibo Wang
1 Application
| Application ID | Title |
|---|---|
| 107217 | Association of sensory impairment, disequilibrium and cognitive frailty |
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