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Quality of Life and Laryngopharyngeal Reflux

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Abstract

Laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR) is characterized by the reflux of gastric contents into the pharynx or larynx and often presents with symptoms including but not limited to cough, throat clearing, sore throat, globus, and dysphonia. Unlike gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), LPR is a relatively understudied syndrome, and knowledge regarding the diagnostic and treatment strategies, as well as the psychosocial impact continues to evolve. No singular test or procedure currently exists as a gold standard for LPR diagnosis. While laryngoscopy or pH monitoring may be positive, this does not exclude the contribution of non-gastroenterological processes. Prior research into psychosocial impact demonstrates a significant increase in symptom burden when comparing patients with laryngeal symptoms to controls and those with isolated GERD symptoms. However, these data are limited by the absence of physiologic data to correlate with the reported symptoms and survey responses. This knowledge gap highlights the need for further research to investigate the relationship between symptom burden and pathologic acid reflux on quality of life (QOL), anxiety, and depression. Ultimately, future studies to directly analyze these variables will help to guide treatment strategies and improve QOL in these patients.

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Acknowledgments

None.

Funding

This work was supported by NIH 5T32DK007202 (Ghosh, PI); NIH K23 DK125266 (Yadlapati, PI); NIH R03 DK135513 (Yadlapati, PI).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA

    Kelli Liu

  2. Department of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology & Hepatology, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive MC0956, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA

    Amanda Krause & Rena Yadlapati

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  2. Amanda Krause
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  3. Rena Yadlapati
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Contributions

KL, AJK, and RY contributed to manuscript outline, literature review, drafting of the manuscript, critical revisions of the manuscript for important intellectual content, and approval of the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Rena Yadlapati.

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Conflict of interest

RY has served as a consultant for Medtronic, Ironwood Pharmaceuticals, Phathom Pharmaceuticals, StatLink MD and Medscape. RY has received research support from Ironwood Pharmaceuticals. RY has served on advisory boards for RJS Mediagnostix with stocks.

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Liu, K., Krause, A. & Yadlapati, R. Quality of Life and Laryngopharyngeal Reflux. Dig Dis Sci 68, 3527–3533 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10620-023-08027-8

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