STUDY DESIGN: This study aimed to determine the prevalence of the different aspects of older patients presenting with dizziness. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Fifty-five patients who complained of disequilibrium and/or dizziness from the Ambulatório de Otoneurologia Geriátrica do Hospital das Clínicas do HCFMUSP, between august/2001 and mars/2003 were analyzed. The authors characterized these population about sex, age, etiological factors of the complaints about equilibrium, adopted treatments and its results. RESULTS: Disequilibrium in older people has multiple different causes in 51% of the subjects, and the more frequent etiologies are: Vertebro Basilar Insufficiency - VBI (40%), Cholesterol and Sugar alterations (40%), Age-related Deterioration of Vestibular System (30%), Benign paroxysmal postural vertigo BPPV (14,5%), Cervical Syndrome (7,2%) and Hormonal alterations (5,4%). CONCLUSION: Disequilibrium in older people is commonly due to two or more etiologies. These findings suggest that a multidisciplinary evaluation is fundamental when the objective is to treat the older patient with dizziness or balance problems.
vertigo; imbalance; elderly; vestibular rehabilitation
