The effects of smoking on the dynamic vocal range of male smokers.
Lídia Cristina da Silva Teles, Mariana Ferreira Gonçalves, Joice Aparecida Costa Bernardo and 1 others
PMID 41779497WHAT IT FOUND
Male smokers had a smaller vocal range than non-smokers, hitting lower top notes and unable to whisper as quietly.
Longer smoking history and higher daily cigarette counts were linked to these reductions. This suggests smoking physically limits vocal flexibility.
Key findings
01Smokers had significantly lower maximum frequency and vocal range compared to non-smokers.
02Smokers had significantly higher minimum intensity and lower maximum dynamic range than non-smokers.
03Longer duration of smoking and higher daily cigarette consumption were correlated with reduced vocal frequency and intensity measures.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The study did not account for exposure to secondhand smoke in the control group, which could have influenced vocal quality. The sample was restricted to male smokers and non-smokers, so findings cannot be generalized to women. Voice professionals were excluded, so the impact on singers or actors was not directly measured in the study group, despite being mentioned in the discussion. The study was cross-sectional, so it cannot prove that smoking caused these changes, only that they are associated.
Declared interests
The study was funded by the Unified Scholarship Program of the University of São Paulo (PUB-USP).
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume these vocal reductions are reversible or that smoking causes specific voice disorders like cancer in this context; the study only reports associations with vocal range limits in a specific male sample.
Summarised by AI from the full paper, without a clinician reviewing it. Check it against the source before it changes what you do. Read it on PubMed →