A high rate of Meniere’s disease (MD) in patients with osteoporosis has been suggested. This research intended to estimate the bidirectional association of MD with osteoporosis. The ≥40-year-old population in the Korean National Health Insurance Service-Health Screening Cohort 2002–2019 was examined. In study I, 9529 patients with MD and 38,116 control I participants were analyzed for a previous history of osteoporosis. In study II, 65,858 patients with osteoporosis and 65,858 control II participants were analyzed for a previous history of MD. Stratified Cox proportional hazard models were applied to calculate the hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of MD for osteoporosis in study I and of osteoporosis for MD in study II. The rate of a prior history of osteoporosis was 13.3% for the MD group and 11.3% for the control I group. The patients with MD had a 1.12 times higher HR for previous osteoporosis (95% CI = 1.04–1.20). In study II, the rate or a prior history of MD was 3.7% for patients with osteoporosis and 2.0% for the control II group. The patients with osteoporosis had a 1.50 times higher HR for previous MD (95% CI = 1.40–1.61). Most subgroups according to age, sex, and comorbid conditions demonstrated consistent bidirectional associations between MD and osteoporosis. Adult patients with MD had a greater risk of osteoporosis. In addition, adult patients with osteoporosis also showed a higher risk of MD.

This study aimed to investigate the change in the incidence and variance of otorhinolaryngologic diseases during the coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) pandemic. The entire Korean population (~50 million) was evaluated for the monthly incidence of 11 common otorhinolaryngologic diseases of upper respiratory infection (URI), influenza, acute tonsillitis, peritonsillar abscess, retropharyngeal and parapharyngeal abscess, acute laryngitis and bronchitis, stomatitis and related lesions, acute sinusitis, rhinitis, otitis media, and dizziness from January 2018 through March 2021 using the International Classification of Disease (ICD)-10 codes with the data of the Korea National Health Insurance Service. The differences in the mean incidence of 11 common otorhinolaryngologic diseases before and during COVID-19 were compared using the Mann—Whitney U test. The differences in the variance of incidence before and during COVID-19 were compared using Levene’s test. The incidence of all 11 otorhinolaryngologic diseases was lower during COVID-19 than before COVID-19 (all p < 0.05). The variations in disease incidence by season were lower during COVID-19 than before COVID-19 for infectious diseases, including URI, influenza, acute tonsillitis, peritonsillar abscess, retropharyngeal and parapharyngeal abscess, acute laryngitis and bronchitis, acute sinusitis, and otitis media (all p < 0.05), while it was not in noninfectious diseases, including stomatitis, rhinitis, and dizziness. As expected, the incidences of all otorhinolalryngolgic diseases were decreased. Additionally, we found that seasonal variations in infectious diseases disappeared during the COVID-19 pandemic, while noninfectious diseases did not.

A few prior researchers presumed the impacts of smoking and alcohol on the risk of Meniere’s disease (MD). This study investigated the relationship between smoking, alcohol consumption, and obesity with Meniere’s disease in an adult population. The ≥40-year-old population in the Korean National Health Insurance Service-Health Screening Cohort 2002–2019 was analyzed. A total of 15,208 patients with MD were matched with 499,658 comparison participants. The current smoking, alcohol consumption, and past medical histories were collected. Body mass index (BMI) was grouped into underweight, normal, overweight, obese I, and obese II. The odds of histories of smoking and alcohol consumption and the BMI group for MD were analyzed using conditional logistic regression analysis. These associations were further analyzed in subgroups of age, sex, smoking, alcohol consumption, and BMI. In the overall adult population, smoking and alcohol consumption did not show an association with MD. Being underweight was linked with lower odds for MD (adjusted OR [aOR] = 0.80, 95% CI = 0.68–0.93, p = 0.004). In the male group, smoking was positively associated with MD (aOR = 1.08, 95% CI = 1.00–1.17, p = 0.043), while alcohol consumption was negatively related to MD (aOR = 0.87, 95% CI = 0.81–0.94, p < 0.001). Being underweight was related to a lower risk of MD. In adult men, smoking was predicted to increase, while alcohol consumption was predicted to decrease the risk of MD.

Previous studies have proposed an association between osteoporosis and renal stones. The current analyses intended to investigate the bidirectional relationship between osteoporosis and renal stones. The ≥40-year-old population in the National Health Insurance Service-Health Screening cohort (2002–2015) was analyzed. In study I, 67,811 patients with osteoporosis and 67,811 control I participants were matched. The hazard ratio (HR) of osteoporosis for renal stones was calculated using stratified Cox proportional hazard models. In study II, 25,261 patients with renal stones and 101,044 control II participants were matched. The HR of renal stones for osteoporosis was estimated using stratified Cox proportional hazard models. In study I, 3.4% (2276/67,811) of osteoporosis patients and 2.5% (1696/67,811) of control I participants had renal stones. Osteoporosis patients had a 1.36 times higher HR for renal stones than control I participants (95% confidence intervals [CI] = 1.28–1.45). In study II, 9.2% (2319/25,261) of renal stone patients and 7.6% (7658/101,044) of control II participants had osteoporosis. Renal stone patients had a 1.26 times higher HR for osteoporosis than control II participants (95% CI = 1.21–1.32). Adults with osteoporosis had a higher risk of renal stones. Moreover, adults with renal stones had a higher risk of osteoporosis.

Previous researchers have suggested an elevated risk of thyroid cancer (TC) in patients with psoriasis with mixed results. The current study evaluated the relationship of psoriasis with the risk of TC in an adult population. The data from the Korean National Health Insurance Service—Health Screening Cohort ≥ 40 years old were analyzed. In total, 6822 patients with TC were equalized with 27,288 control participants using overlap weighting adjustment based on the propensity score. The history of psoriasis was compared between the TC and control groups using multivariable logistic regression analysis. Secondary analyses were conducted according to age, sex, income, region of residence, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, fasting blood glucose, total cholesterol, obesity, smoking, alcohol consumption, the Charlson Comorbidity Index scores, hypothyroidism, goiter, thyrotoxicosis, and thyroiditis. The history of psoriasis was not different in patients with TC (overlap-weighted odds ratio (OR) = 1.02, 95% confidence intervals (CI) = 0.85–1.22). The <55-year-old group showed a high rate of TC associated with psoriasis (overlap-weighted OR = 1.69, 95% CI = 1.22–2.36, p = 0.002). The population without hypothyroidism demonstrated an increased rate of TC related to psoriasis (overlap-weighted OR = 1.29, 95% CI = 1.06–1.57, p = 0.012). The patients with hypothyroidism showed a low rate of TC for psoriasis (overlap-weighted OR = 0.59, 95% CI = 0.37–0.96, p = 0.034). None of the other subgroups showed an association between psoriasis and TC. Psoriasis was not related to the risk of TC in the overall adult population. Young adults and populations without hypothyroidism indicated an elevated rate of TC for psoriasis.