Pain Is Associated with Depressive Symptoms, Inflammation, and Poorer Physical Function in Older Adults with HIV

Abstract

Objective People living with HIV (PLWH) frequently experience pain, which often co-occurs with psychological symptoms and may impact functional outcomes. We investigated cross-sectional associations between pain, depressive symptoms, and inflammation, and then explored whether pain was related to poorer physical function among older PLWH. Methods We examined data from PLWH aged 54 to 78 years (n = 162) recruited from a single outpatient program for a larger study on HIV and aging. Participants reported depressive symptoms (10-item Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale) and then attended a biomedical visit in which they reported past-month pain (Medical Outcomes Study-HIV pain subscale), completed physical function assessments, and provided blood samples (assayed for interleukin 6, interferon-γ, tumor necrosis factor α, and C-reactive protein). Links between pain, depressive symptoms, inflammation, and physical function were tested using linear regression models. Results PLWH with greater depressive symptoms experienced more pain than did those with fewer depressive symptoms (B = 1.31, SE = 0.28, p