RESEARCH - Prevalence of subjective voice impairment in RA

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Clin Rheumatol. 2008 Nov;27(11):1441-3. Epub 2008 Aug 21.

Prevalence of subjective voice impairment in rheumatoid arthritis.

Fisher BA, Dolan K, Hastings L, McClinton C, PC.

Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology, Imperial College London, 1 Aspenlea

Road, London, W6 8LH, UK.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) might lead to voice impairment through

several mechanisms but its prevalence has been little investigated. RA

patients attending a rheumatology outpatient clinic had joint

assessments and completed the Voice Handicap Index-10 (VHI-10). A

comparator group consisted of patients attending the department with

other diseases. Seventy-three patients with RA and 73 comparators were

recruited. Four patients with RA (5%) and one comparator (1%) had

significantly abnormal VHI-10 scores. RA patients with a Disease

Activity Score 28 >3.2, indicating more active disease, had

significantly higher VHI-10 scores. A low prevalence of self-reported

voice handicap occurs in RA and associates with more active disease.

PMID: 18716729

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18716729

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