As the HIV-positive population ages, such health outcomes require greater focus.
September 10, 2019 • By Benjamin Ryan
Women living with HIV are likely to experience increased fatigue and muscle aches after entering menopause. This finding from a recent survey underscores the importance of focusing on the needs of people with HIV as they live longer thanks to antiretroviral treatment.
Publishing their findings in the journal Menopause, researchers from Columbia University School of Nursing and Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, including Rebecca Schnall, PhD, and Nancy Reame, PhD, conducted a cross-sectional survey of 1,342 people living with HIV, including 957 men and 385 women, regarding their virus-related symptoms. The study authors then conducted a follow-up survey of menstrual bleeding patterns, specifically those suggestive of menopause, among 222 women who participated in the initial survey.
“Studying the differences in how men and women experience HIV symptoms is an important emerging focus,” Reame said in a press release. “Several studies have described menopausal symptoms in women with HIV, but few have examined whether menopause might help explain the greater severity of HIV symptoms seen in women compared to men.”
In the first survey, after the study authors adjusted the data to account for various differences among participants, they found that depression scores were similar between the sexes, but women experienced higher scores for fatigue and muscle aches.
The women surveyed were predominantly Black, heterosexual, nonsmokers, and obese. They had been diagnosed with HIV an average of 16 years prior and generally had at least one other health condition.
Compared to the 118 premenopausal women, the 104 women whose periods had stopped due to menopause or a hysterectomy had higher scores for muscle pain, fatigue, and difficulty sleeping. These associations remained after researchers adjusted the data for age, time since HIV diagnosis, and the number of non-HIV-related health conditions among the women.
“Given the demographic shift in the HIV epidemic, our findings are very important for people living with HIV and their healthcare providers,” Schnall said in the press release. “If healthcare providers can better predict, identify, and manage the symptoms that are most burdensome for women living with HIV, they can improve care for these women.”
From: https://www.poz.com/article/menopause-women-hiv-linked-greater-fatigue-muscle-aches