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HIV and Headache: A Cross‐Sectional Study
Author(s) -
Sampaio RochaFilho Pedro Augusto,
Torres Rinailda Cascia Santos,
Ramos Montarroyos Ulisses
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
headache: the journal of head and face pain
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.14
H-Index - 119
eISSN - 1526-4610
pISSN - 0017-8748
DOI - 10.1111/head.13183
Subject(s) - headaches , medicine , migraine , cross sectional study , depression (economics) , anxiety , pediatrics , physical therapy , surgery , psychiatry , pathology , economics , macroeconomics
The head and neck are the second most common locations for pain among HIV‐positive individuals. Most studies were conducted among HIV patients at an advanced stage of the disease. Methods This was a cross‐sectional study. Patients with HIV and CD4+ T lymphocyte counts >500 were included. Semi‐structured interview, the Headache Impact Test (HIT‐6), and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale were used. Results Of the 119 cases included, 63% were men. The mean age was 35.5 ± 10.4 years. Among the patients, 103 (87%) had headaches, 53 (45%) had migraines, 50 (42%) had tension‐type headaches, and 53 (45%) had substantial and severe impact of headaches. Eleven patients had headaches that started after they had been diagnosed with HIV. These patients had more migraines (72% vs 43%; P < 0.05), greater intensity (8 ± 2 vs 6 ± 2; P < 0.01), and impact (HIT‐6: 60 ± 11 vs 51 ± 12; P = 0.02) of headaches compared to others HIV patients. There were no correlations between CD4 counts and the intensity, frequency, or impact of headaches. Conclusions HIV‐positive patients had a high frequency of headaches, which had a great impact on patients' lives. The pattern most often found was migraine. There was no correlation between CD4 counts and the severity of headaches.