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Published on: June 16, 2014
Chronic Pain and Its Association with Depressive Symptoms and Renal Function in Hypertensive Patients
Rigas G Kalaitzidis1, Panagiotis Theofilis1, Kalliopi Touchantzidou2
1Center for Nephrology "G. Papadakis", General Hospital of Nikaia-Piraeus "Agios Panteleimon", 18454 Piraeus, Greece.
Insights
Chronic pain affects nearly half of hypertension patients, with women experiencing it more frequently. This pain is strongly linked to depressive symptoms, suggesting a need for integrated management strategies.
Area of Science:
- Nephrology
- Cardiology
- Psychiatry
Background:
- Chronic pain is a significant issue in patients with chronic physical disorders.
- Hypertension and chronic kidney disease (CKD) are prevalent conditions often co-occurring with pain and depression.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the prevalence of chronic pain in hypertensive patients, with or without CKD.
- To examine the association between chronic pain and depressive symptoms in this population.
Main Methods:
- A study of 158 hypertensive individuals, including those with CKD.
- Pain assessed using the EuroQol-5 D pain/discomfort domain.
- Depressive symptoms evaluated with the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9).
Main Results:
- The prevalence of chronic pain was 44.3% in the studied hypertensive individuals.
- Women showed a higher prevalence of chronic pain than men (57.1% vs. 42.9%).
- No significant association was found between CKD and chronic pain prevalence. Depressive symptoms were significantly associated with chronic pain.
Conclusions:
- Chronic pain is common in hypertensive patients.
- The strong association between chronic pain and depression highlights the need for integrated management approaches.
- Further research is warranted to explore the clinical implications of this comorbidity.
Abstract:
Chronic pain is a common concern and is considered to be one of the major problems in patients with chronic physical disorders. We studied the effect of pain in patients with hypertension with or without chronic kidney disease (CKD) and the association between pain and symptoms of depression. The study involved 158 hypertensive individuals (59.5% male, mean age 55 years), of whom 47 (29.8%) had CKD (estimated glomerular filtration rate < 60 mL/min/1.73 m2). Pain was assessed with the pain/discomfort domain of the EuroQol-5 D, while depressive symptoms were assessed with the depression module of the Patient health questionnaire (PHQ-9). The prevalence of chronic pain in our sample was 44.3%. Women exhibited chronic pain more often compared to men (57.1% vs. 42.9%, p < 0.001). The presence of CKD was not significantly associated with a higher prevalence of chronic pain among hypertensive patients. Depressive symptoms were significantly associated with the presence of chronic pain. These findings were confirmed in the logistic regression analysis. Chronic pain is common in hypertensive individuals and the association with depression warrants further investigation and may have practical implications in managing these patients.
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