Do body mass index and demographic data affect subjective tinnitus?

Background: Tinnitus is a common otological symptom that affects quality of life seriously. Several factors involved in the etiology of tinnitus have been investigated. However, some independent main risk factors affecting subjective tinnitus are still unclear in the current literature. The purpose of this study was to evaluate body mass index (BMI) and other demographic data and to determine their effects on patients with tinnitus. Materials and methods: This retrospective study was performed at our clinic and involved 100 patients with subjective tinnitus and 113 control patients without tinnitus. Patients’ age, gender, BMI, side of tinnitus involvement and place of residence (city, town or village) were investigated. Then these data were analyzed statistically. Results: BMI values of patients with tinnitus were significantly higher than those of the control group. However, no statistical significant difference was observed in other demographic data. Conclusion: Tinnitus is a common subjective symptom. Various studies have investigated the risk factors. However, the number of studies assessing BMI and the place that the patients’ live is limited. Our results suggest that tinnitus may be associated with modifiable risk factors, such as BMI. Further research is needed to evaluate the relationship between these factors and tinnitus. © 2016, E-Century Publishing Corporation. All rights reserved.