Table 1. Characteristics of Patients in Each Cohort.
| Characteristic | PS Cohort (n = 85) | AMS Cohort (n = 99) |
|---|---|---|
| Reason for exclusion, patients, No.(%) | ||
| Dysphonia caused by coexisting diagnosis | 93 (48.2) | 100 (51.8) |
| NC or prior treatment with neuropathic medication | 86 (51.5) | 81 (48.5) |
| Prior laryngeal malignant abnormality or RT | 22 (55) | 18 (45) |
| Coexisting AR, sinusitis, or recent URI | 18 (47.4) | 20 (52.6) |
| Current smoker | 16 (45.7) | 19 (54.3) |
| Dysphagia caused by coexisting diagnosis | 17 (51.5) | 16 (48.5) |
| Nasopharyngeal or oropharyngeal mass | 5 (62.5) | 3 (37.5) |
| Sex, No. (%) | ||
| Male | 38 (44.7) | 38 (38.3) |
| Female | 47 (56.3) | 61 (61.7) |
| Age, median (range), y | 60 (18-82) | 57 (18-93) |
| Type of PPI, No. (%) | ||
| Esomeprazole | 39 (45.9) | |
| Dexlansoprazole | 46 (54.1) | |
| PPI-naive, No. (%) | 36 (42.4) | 44 (44.4) |
| Baseline RSI, No. (%)a | ||
| <11 | 6 (7.1) | 10 (10.1) |
| 11-20 | 44 (51.2) | 51 (51.5) |
| 21-30 | 23 (27.1) | 28 (28.3) |
| >30 | 12 (14.1) | 10 (10.1) |
| Cohort, mean (SD) | 20 (8.2) | 19 (7.4) |
| Primary symptom, No. (%)b | ||
| Cough | 32 (37.6) | 27 (27.3) |
| Dysphagia | 24 (28.2) | 38 (38.4) |
| Dysphonia | 29 (34.1) | 34 (34.3) |
Abbreviations: AMS, alkaline water, Mediterranean-style diet, standard reflux precautions; AR, allergic rhinitis; NC, neuropathic cough; PS, proton pump inhibitor and standard reflux precautions; RSI, reflux symptom index; RT, radiation therapy; URI, upper respiratory infection.
a
P = .41, calculated using the Mantel-Haenszel method.
b
P = .23, calculated using χ2 test.