Abstract
The prevalence of BPPV in hemodialysis patients, and whether BPPV in hemodialysis patients is intractable, were examined. The investigation was conducted by a questionnaire survey of 390 hemodialysis patients at three facilities and in 134 patients with BPPV at my clinic. Probable BPPV was diagnosed in the hemodialysis patients when positional vertigo was evoked by lying down, getting up or turning over in bed, and the vertigo decreased within 1 minute. Intractability of BPPV was estimated according to the time taken for remission of the positional vertigo and the frequency of recurrence. Bone mineral density (Z-score) measurements by dual X-ray absorptiometry of the radius bone were performed in 146 hemodialysis patients. The Z-scores were compared between the probable BPPV patients and the patients with no vertigo and/or dizziness. The prevalence of BPPV was about 9% in the hemodialysis patients. There were no significant differences between the groups in terms of the duration of BPPV or the multiple recurrence rates. Bone mineral density was similar in the groups. We conclude that BPPV in hemodialysis patients predominates and occurs often but is not always intractable. It is not clear whether Ca metabolism may play a role in the development of BPPV in hemodialysis patients.
