Objective:

Our study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of chronic pain and its relationship with depressive mood in people with HIV (PWH).

Background:

Chronic pain and its associated factors have not been thoroughly investigated in PWH on modern, virally suppressive antiretroviral (ART) regimens.

Design/Methods:

PWH and people without HIV (PWoH) enrolled in a cross-sectional study completed a questionnaire quantifying their experience of chronic pain (daily for >3 months). Those with chronic pain were asked further questions about their pain intensity, interference with activities, analgesic use, and location, including neuropathic pain. Depressed mood was assessed using the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II), with subscales for anhedonia, apathy, and affective, cognitive, and somatic symptoms.

Results:

Participants were 27 PWH and 19 PWoH. Among PWH, 93% were on ART, all with undetectable plasma HIV RNA levels; median nadir and current CD4+ T cell counts were 173 and 649. Chronic pain occurred in 52% of PWH vs 19% of PWoH (odds ratio [95% CI], 5.74 [1.35, 24.4]). Average intensity varied from 22-90/100 for PWH versus 40-65 for PWoH. PWH with chronic pain were likelier than PWoH to report analgesic use (p=0.033), including opioids, and interference with activities (p=0.021). Total BDI-II scores were higher in PWH with chronic pain than those without (effect size [ES] 1.29, p=0.013), particularly for the Anhedonia and Somatic subscales. There were no differences in duration of HIV infection, CD4 counts, or demographics between PWH with and without chronic pain.

Conclusions:

Our preliminary findings highlight the high frequency of chronic pain in PWH on modern ART regimens and its association with worse depressed mood and functional outcomes. Future research should investigate the mechanisms driving the high prevalence of chronic pain in PWH. Evaluating the effectiveness of various pain management strategies in improving functional outcomes and mood in PWH would also be beneficial.