Factors associated with laryngopharyngeal reflux
Reviewed by Sunil Sharma

This Chinese cross-sectional survey across three hospitals and 320 patients looked at the effect of unhealthy lifestyles and eating habits, as well as psychological difficulties, on the development of laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR). All the participants underwent gastroscopy, laryngoscopy and various questionnaires, including a self-designed structured questionnaire looking at lifestyle and eating habits, as well as the GERD-Q (with six items) and the RSI (with nine items). The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) was also used to assess anxiety (HADS-A score >10) and depression (HADS-D score >7). The patients were divided into an LPR group (negative gastroscopy, GERD-Q < 8 and RSI > 13) and control group (without LPR). Univariate analysis of potentially related factors showed that patients with LPR had a statistically significant preference for acidic foods, porridge or soup, drinking coffee, unbalanced diet, overeating, fast eating, and late dinners. The HADS-A and HADS-D scores were significantly higher in the LPR than the control group. This study gives evidence that unhealthy lifestyles and eating habits, as well as anxiety and depression are associated with LPR. Further work into understanding why these factors are associated with LPR is warranted.

Psychological factors, lifestyles, and habits of patients with laryngopharyngeal reflux: a multicenter survey.
Chen G, Kuang X, Wang X, et al.
B-ENT
2023;19(3):170–4.