Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

A population-based study on the association between rheumatoid arthritis and voice problems

  • Brief Report
  • Published:
Clinical Rheumatology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The objective of this study was to investigate whether rheumatoid arthritis increases the frequency of organic laryngeal lesions and the subjective voice complaint rate in those with no organic laryngeal lesion. We performed a cross-sectional study using the data from 19,368 participants (418 rheumatoid arthritis patients and 18,950 controls) of the 2008–2011 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. The associations between rheumatoid arthritis and organic laryngeal lesions/subjective voice complaints were analyzed using simple/multiple logistic regression analysis with complex sample adjusting for confounding factors, including age, sex, smoking status, stress level, and body mass index, which could provoke voice problems. Vocal nodules, vocal polyp, and vocal palsy were not associated with rheumatoid arthritis in a multiple regression analysis, and only laryngitis showed a positive association (adjusted odds ratio, 1.59; 95 % confidence interval, 1.01–2.52; P = 0.047). Rheumatoid arthritis was associated with subjective voice discomfort in a simple regression analysis, but not in a multiple regression analysis. Participants with rheumatoid arthritis were older, more often female, and had higher stress levels than those without rheumatoid arthritis. These factors were associated with subjective voice complaints in both simple and multiple regression analyses. Rheumatoid arthritis was not associated with organic laryngeal diseases except laryngitis. Rheumatoid arthritis did not increase the odds ratio for subjective voice complaints. Voice problems in participants with rheumatoid arthritis originated from the characteristics of the rheumatoid arthritis group (higher mean age, female sex, and stress level) rather than rheumatoid arthritis itself.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Merrill RM, Anderson AE, Sloan A (2011) Quality of life indicators according to voice disorders and voice-related conditions. Laryngoscope 121:2004–2010

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Hamdan AL, Sarieddine D (2013) Laryngeal manifestations of rheumatoid arthritis. Autoimmune Dis 2013:103081

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  3. Fisher BA, Dolan K, Hastings L, McClinton C, Taylor PC (2008) Prevalence of subjective voice impairment in rheumatoid arthritis. Clin Rheumatol 27:1441–1443

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Speyer R, Speyer I, Heijnen MA (2008) Prevalence and relative risk of dysphonia in rheumatoid arthritis. J Voice 22:232–237

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Voulgari PV, Papazisi D, Bai M, Zagorianakou P, Assimakopoulos D, Drosos AA (2005) Laryngeal involvement in rheumatoid arthritis. Rheumatol Int 25:321–325

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Gómez-Puerta JA, Cisternas A, Hernández MV, Ruiz-Esquide V, Vilaseca I, Sanmartí R (2014) Laryngeal assessment by videolaryngostroboscopy in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Reumatol Clin 10:32–36

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Grossman A, Martin JR, Root HS (1961) Rheumatoid arthritis of the crico-arvtenoid joint. Laryngoscope 71:530–544

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Guerra LG, Lau KY, Marwah R (1992) Upper airway obstruction as the sole manifestation of rheumatoid arthritis. J Rheumatol 19:974–976

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Lawry GV, Finerman ML, Hanafee WN, Mancuso AA, Fan PT, Bluestone R (1984) Laryngeal involvement in rheumatoid arthritis. A clinical, laryngoscopic, and computerized tomographic study. Arthritis Rheum 27:873–882

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Beirith SC, Ikino CM, Pereira IA (2013) Laryngeal involvement in rheumatoid arthritis. Braz J Otorhinolaryngol 79:233–238

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Jurik AG, Pedersen U, Noorgard A (1985) Rheumatoid arthritis of the cricoarytenoid joints: a case of laryngeal obstruction due to acute and chronic joint changes. Laryngoscope 95:846–848

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Coyle SM, Weinrich BD, Stemple JC (2001) Shifts in relative prevalence of laryngeal pathology in a treatment-seeking population. J Voice 15:424–440

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Cohen SM, Kim J, Roy N, Asche C, Courey M (2012) Prevalence and causes of dysphonia in a large treatment-seeking population. Laryngoscope 122:343–348

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Sliwinska-Kowalska M, Niebudek-Bogusz E, Fiszer M, Los-Spychalska T, Kotylo P, Sznurowska-Przygocka B et al (2006) The prevalence and risk factors for occupational voice disorders in teachers. Folia Phoniatr Logop 58:85–101

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Roy N, Merrill RM, Gray SD, Smith EM (2005) Voice disorders in the general population: prevalence, risk factors, and occupational impact. Laryngoscope 115:1988–1995

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Roy N, Merrill RM, Thibeault S, Parsa RA, Gray SD, Smith EM (2004) Prevalence of voice disorders in teachers and the general population. J Speech Lang Hear Res 47:281–293

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Carmona L, Cross M, Williams B, Lassere M, March L (2010) Rheumatoid arthritis. Best Pract Res Clin Rheumatol 24:733–745

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Sung YK, Cho SK, Choi CB, Bae SC (2013) Prevalence and incidence of rheumatoid arthritis in South Korea. Rheumatol Int 33:1525–1532

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Hur NWCC, UHM WS, Bae SC (2008) The prevalence and trend of arthritis in Korea: results from Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys. J Korean Rheum Assoc 15:11–26

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Liu ZW, Masterson LM, Srouji IA, Musonda P, Scott DG (2012) Voice symptoms in patients with autoimmune disease: a cross-sectional epidemiological study. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 147:1108–1113

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Nerriere E, Vercambre MN, Gilbert F, Kovess-Masfety V (2009) Voice disorders and mental health in teachers: a cross-sectional nationwide study. BMC Public Health 9:370

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  22. Hocevar-Boltezar I (2009) Prevalence and risk factors for voice problems in priests. Wien Klin Wochenschr 121:276–281

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Geterud A, Bake B, Berthelsen B, Bjelle A, Ejnell H (1991) Laryngeal involvement in rheumatoid arthritis. Acta Otolaryngol 111:990–998

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Gresham GA, Kellaway TD (1958) Rheumatoid disease in the larynx and lung. Ann Rheum Dis 17:286–292

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Otorhinolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery and Cancer Research Institute, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea

    J. Hun Hah & So Young Kim

  2. Department of Otorhinolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery, Thyroid/Head and Neck Cancer Center of the Dongnam Institute of Radiological and Medical Sciences (DIRAMS), Busan, South Korea

    Soo-Youn An

  3. Department of Statistics, Hallym University, Chuncheon, South Korea

    Songyong Sim

  4. Department of Internal Medicine, Soonchunhyang University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea

    Dong Jun Oh

  5. Department of Otorhinolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery, Hallym University Sacred Heart Hospital, Anyang, South Korea

    Bumjung Park & Hyo Geun Choi

  6. Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, Hallym University, Anyang, South Korea

    Sung-Gyun Kim

Authors
  1. J. Hun Hah
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Soo-Youn An
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Songyong Sim
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. So Young Kim
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Dong Jun Oh
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Bumjung Park
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Sung-Gyun Kim
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. Hyo Geun Choi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Hyo Geun Choi.

Ethics declarations

Disclosures

None.

Additional information

The English in this document has been checked by at least two professional editors, both native speakers of English. For a certificate, please see:

http://www.textcheck.com/certificate/ihWRpK

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Hah, J.H., An, SY., Sim, S. et al. A population-based study on the association between rheumatoid arthritis and voice problems. Clin Rheumatol 35, 1873–1878 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10067-016-3169-1

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10067-016-3169-1

Keywords

Search

Navigation