ArticleEuropean journal of neurology2025
Risk Factors Associated With Bell's Palsy: A Real-World Analysis of 281,600 Patients.
Article in European journal of neurology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
6 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Pooled it
- Article
- Structural Mimics of Recurrent Bell's Palsy: A Case Report Highlighting Diagnostic Red Flags in Facial Nerve Schwannoma and Metastasis.Reports (MDPI) · 2026Article
- Peripheral facial palsy: contemporary advances and unresolved debates in management from pathogenic mechanisms to tailored reconstruction.Frontiers in neurology · 2026Review
- Association Between Post-COVID-19 Herpes Zoster Reactivation and Peripheral Nervous System Disorders: Multinational Real-World Evidence from TriNetX.International journal of medical sciences · 2026Article
- Risk Factors Associated With Bell's Palsy: A Real-World Analysis of 281,600 Patients.European journal of neurology · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
8 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
introductionBell's palsy is the most common cause of peripheral facial paralysis, with an annual incidence of 5-50 per 100,000 cases worldwide. Its etiology remains largely unknown, though risk factors such as herpes simplex virus reactivation, diabetes, depression, and pregnancy-related complications have been suggested. Understanding these risk factors is critical for improving diagnosis, prevention, and treatment strategies.
methodsA retrospective analysis of the TriNetX database included over 25 million patients. Two cohorts of approximately 140,800 patients each, matched for age and sex, were analyzed for associations between BP and herpes simplex virus, diabetes, depression, and pregnancy. Odds ratios (OR) and confidence intervals (CI) were calculated, with p < 0.05 indicating significance.
resultsHerpes simplex virus showed the strongest association with Bell's palsy (OR: 6.49, 95% CI: 5.96-7.05); followed by diabetes (OR: 2.4, CI: 2.36-2.46) and depression (OR: 2.05, CI: 2.0-2.1). Pregnancy was inversely correlated (OR: 0.76, CI: 0.73-0.78).
conclusionHerpes simplex virus reactivation appears to be a major risk factor, suggesting a potential role of antiviral therapies in select cases. The associations with diabetes and depression highlight a need for metabolic and mental health evaluations in patients with Bell's palsy. The inverse correlation with pregnancy warrants further investigation into pregnancy-related conditions. These findings emphasize the multifactorial nature of this condition and the importance of individualized approaches to reduce its idiopathic classification.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.