Chronic Pain Locations, Characteristics, and Associations With Other Symptoms in Adults Receiving Maintenance Hemodialysis: Findings From the HOPE Consortium Trial.

RATIONALE & OBJECTIVE: Adults receiving maintenance hemodialysis (HD) frequently report pain, yet detailed descriptions of pain in this population are lacking. This study examines pain locations, characteristics, and associations with other symptoms in adults receiving HD. STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional analysis. SETTING & PARTICIPANTS: Adults with moderate to severe chronic pain receiving maintenance HD enrolled in the multicenter HOPE Consortium Trial from 2021 to 2023. EXPOSURE: Sociodemographic, pain treatment, dialysis, medical comorbidity, and psychological and behavioral characteristics. Other patient-reported symptoms. OUTCOME: Pain interference and severity as assessed by the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI) Interference and Severity subscales (range, 0-10). ANALYTICAL APPROACH: Multivariable regression with least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) to examine associations between participant characteristics and pain interference/severity, and Spearman's correlation to examine relationships between other symptoms and pain interference/severity at baseline. RESULTS: Among 643 participants, the median BPI interference was 6.6 (IQR, 5.1-7.9) and severity was 6.0 (IQR, 4.5-7.5). Among the participants, 84% of participants reported pain >1 year, and 75% had daily pain; 89% and 66% of participants endorsed musculoskeletal and neuropathic pain, respectively. Of 32 body regions, the median number of painful regions was 8 (IQR, 4-14). Common regions in females were lower back (72%), knees (64%), legs (60%), and upper back (59%), and a similar pattern existed for males. In LASSO analyses, cardiovascular disease and depression were associated with significantly higher pain interference whereas White race (reference, Black race) and non-Hispanic ethnicity were associated with significantly lower pain interference. Similar findings were noted for pain severity. Pain catastrophizing and symptoms of fatigue, depression, and anxiety were moderately correlated with pain interference (r > 0.4). LIMITATIONS: Neither relationship directionality nor causality can be inferred. CONCLUSIONS: Among adults treated with HD who have chronic pain, pain locations were numerous and diverse, with substantial musculoskeletal and neuropathic characteristics. Factors associated with pain interference were predominantly sociodemographic and psychological rather than those related to comorbid diseases and dialysis. PLAIN-LANGUAGE SUMMARY: Adults receiving maintenance hemodialysis (HD) frequently experience chronic pain, but it remains poorly understood. We examined pain locations, characteristics, and relationships with other symptoms among 643 adults with moderate to severe chronic pain receiving maintenance HD enrolled in the multicenter HOPE Consortium Trial from 2021 to 2023. We found that pain locations were numerous and diverse, with substantial musculoskeletal and neuropathic pain characteristics. The factors associated with pain interference were predominantly sociodemographic and psychological rather than related to comorbid diseases and dialysis. Given these findings, routine pain assessments and treatment plans tailored to the specific needs and symptoms of the individual patient seem warranted for this patient population.

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