title: Laryngopharyngeal symptoms in patients with asthma: a cross-sectional controlled study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the frequency and severity of laryngopharyngeal symptoms in asthmatic patients. The role of laryngopharyngeal reflux disease as a co-morbid disease to asthma has not been previously reported.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seventy-two subjects, 36 asthmatics and 36 controls were included in this study. Demographic data included age, gender, status of asthma, use of steroid inhalers, smoking and history of allergy. Pulmonary function test was reported in 13 subjects. The evaluation consisted of filling the Reflux Symptom Index (RSI) described by Belafsky et al. The total score, frequency and average score of each laryngopharyngeal symptom was computed in both groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean age of patients was 46.61 ± 17.59 years with a female to male ratio of 2.3:1. Twenty patients were using steroid inhalers. Close to one third were smokers (30.6%) and 55.6% had allergic rhinitis. Thirty-six percent had controlled asthma vs 64% were uncontrolled. The mean of the total RSI was significantly higher in patients compared with controls (12.03 ± 8.3 vs 6.64 ± 6.08, P value < 0.05). In the asthmatic group, 15 subjects had a positive RSI compared with only 4 in the control group (P value of 0.003). There was a significant difference in the prevalence and means of four laryngopharyngeal symptoms in patients vs controls.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Laryngopharyngeal reflux disease is more prevalent and more severe in patients with asthma vs controls.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology - Head & Neck Surgery, American University of Beirut Medical Center, Beirut, Lebanon.
authors.forename: Abdul Latif
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Hamdan
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology - Head & Neck Surgery, American University of Beirut Medical Center, Beirut, Lebanon.
authors.forename: Hussein
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Jaffal
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Health Sciences, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon.
authors.forename: Rachel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Btaiche
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, Michigan State University College of Human Medicine, Beirut, Lebanon.
authors.forename: Zaahir A
authors.initials: ZA
authors.lastname: Turfe
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology - Head & Neck Surgery, American University of Beirut Medical Center, Beirut, Lebanon.
authors.forename: Ibrahim
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Bawab
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, American University of Beirut Medical Center, Beirut, Lebanon.
authors.forename: Nadim
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kanj
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, American University of Beirut Medical Center, Beirut, Lebanon.
authors.forename: Hani
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tamim
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001249:Asthma / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D057045:Laryngopharyngeal Reflux / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
keywords: asthma; cough; hoarseness; laryngopharyngeal symptoms; reflux