Influence of Chronic Pain on Cardiovascular and Locomotor Components in Hispanic-Latinos Living with HIV

Abstract

Background: Chronic pain is commonly reported in people living with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Chronic pain has been linked to decreased quality of life, mobility impairments, and increased risk of cardiovascular complications in the general population. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between chronic pain and cardiovascular and locomotor function in people living with HIV (PLWH). Subjects: A total of 291 participants were enrolled in this study, 251 without chronic pain (non-CP), and 40 participants with chronic pain (CP). Both groups were comparable in terms of age and years of diagnosis. Methods: Data was collected retrospectively from a community-based exercise program in San Juan, Puerto Rico from 2000-2020. The cardiovascular and motor components of this study were collected using the Ross submaximal cardiovascular test. The presence of chronic pain and Cd4 count was collected by interview and results from the participants’ most recent blood work. Results: For the cardiovascular component, the CP group demonstrated significantly reduced heart rate (p<.05), systolic blood pressure (p<.05), and time completed on the Ross test (p<.001). The motor component portrayed by gait velocity and treadmill inclination was significantly reduced in the CP group (p<.05). Conclusion: This study found that the presence of chronic pain in PLWH negatively affected locomotor and cardiovascular function. More research is needed to investigate the differences in lower extremity muscular activation and spatiotemporal parameters that could be associated with a reduction in gait speed and inclination in PLWH and chronic pain.