Abstract

CUNHA, Maria Gabriela Bernardo da; PASSEROTTI, Gustavo Haruo; WEBER, Raimar  and  ZILBERSTEIN, Bruno. Morbid obesity and it´s relationship to voice alterations. ABCD, arq. bras. cir. dig. [online]. 2009, vol.22, n.2, pp. 76-81. ISSN 0102-6720.  http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/S0102-67202009000200003.

BACKGROUND: Obesity is a chronic disease with public health interest. Voice disturbance is common in this group. AIM: To compare the voice between the morbid obese patients with the non obese. METHODS: Prospective trial with 45 adult volunteers with 43 years old median age with BMI>35 Kg/m² as study group and a control group in the same number but with BMI<30 Kg/m². Exclusion criteria were tumor in head and neck or previous operations in oropharynx. All had laryngoscopy and voice recording. They were submitted to GIRBAS score. Acoustic analysis was done based on Vox Metria software and PRAAT. RESULTS: Laryngoscopy showed alterations in 26,7% of the obese group and 13,3% in controls. The GIRBAS score was highly significant to the obese group. Acoustic alterations were also significant in the obese group. CONCLUSION: The patients with morbid obesity have significant alterations in voice caracteristics in comparison to the ones normal in weight.

Keywords : Obesidade; Alteração da voz; Avaliação da voz.