Abstract
Introduction Few studies have investigated the relationship between cytokines and dizziness in elderly individuals. Objective To assess the levels of inflammatory biomarkers and their relationship with quality of life (QoL) among elderly individuals with dizziness. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional study with 103 participants (90 women and 13 men) who were assessed through the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and the Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI). The plasma levels of cytokines were measured through the cytometric bead array (CBA) method. Cross-tabulations with the Chi-squared test were used to verify sample homogeneity, and parametric tests were used to analyze the data. Results Out of the total sample of 103 individuals, dizziness was reported by 40 women and 5 men. A difference between the groups with and without dizziness was observed regarding the levels of interleukin 4 (IL-4; p = 0.011): the group without dizziness presented a higher mean level (2.1 ± 2.8 pg/mL) when compared to the group that presented dizziness (1.0 ± 1.7 pg/mL). Another difference was found between the DHI classifications and the plasma levels of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α;) p = 0.015): the groups without any losses in QoL presented lower TNF-α levels (1.4 pg/mL) compared to the group that presented moderate QoL loss (6.3 pg/mL). Conclusion Dizziness affects the functional, physical and emotional dimensions of QoL and plays a role in the decrease in the levels of IL-4 and in the presence of fullness and tinnitus. Higher VAS scores are related to dizziness in the elderly. Moreover, the increased levels of TNF-α were associated to light-to-moderate losses in QoL among elderly patients with dizziness.