Determinants of quality of life in long-COVID patients with new-onset chronic pain

IF 4 2区医学 Q1 CLINICAL NEUROLOGY

Journal of Pain Pub Date : 2025-08-14 DOI:10.1016/j.jpain.2025.105531

Laura Barrero-Santiago , Pablo Bellosta-López , Víctor Doménech-García , Lucía Pérez-Pérez , Juan J. Tellería , Raquel Almansa , Federico Montero-Cuadrado

{"title":"Determinants of quality of life in long-COVID patients with new-onset chronic pain","authors":"Laura Barrero-Santiago , Pablo Bellosta-López , Víctor Doménech-García , Lucía Pérez-Pérez , Juan J. Tellería , Raquel Almansa , Federico Montero-Cuadrado","doi":"10.1016/j.jpain.2025.105531","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Chronic pain is highly prevalent in Long-COVID syndrome and significantly impacts quality of life (QoL). Given the complexity of long-COVID, a comprehensive approach is necessary to understand how the interactions of psychosocial, pain and functional factors may influence patients' well-being. This study aimed to explore key factors associated with QoL in long-COVID patients with new-onset chronic pain, and to multidimensionally characterize this population. A case-control design was used, recruiting 163 Long-COVID patients (49.04±8.23 years, 80% females) and 151 controls (48.86±8.28 years, 78% females). Socio-demographic, psychosocial, pain-related and functional outcomes were measured. QoL, assessed by the EQ-5D, was considered the main outcome. Anxiety was negatively associated with QoL (β=−0.012,95%CI:[−0.015, −0.008],p<0.001), while aerobic capacity showed a positive association (β=0.001,95%CI:[0.001,0.002],p<0.001). Employment status (β=0.175,95%CI:[0.091,0.260],p<0.001), pain intensity (β=−0.003,95%CI:[−0.005,−0.001],p=0.004) and symptom complexity (β=−0.32,95%CI:[−0.51,−0.13],p<0.001) were also significant associated factors. The strongest factor associated with being a case was higher levels of symptoms complexity (OR=1.09;95%CI:[1.05, 1.15];p<0.001) followed by higher levels of depression (OR=1.13; 95%CI:[1.04,1.22];p=0.002). Long-COVID patients reported poorer self-perceived QoL and had significantly lower overall QoL, as well as worse outcomes in functional, pain-related and psychosocial variables when compared to control subjects (p<0.001). Clinicians should pay attention to anxiety levels, aerobic capacity, work status and pain intensity early in the course of the disease to try to minimize the loss of QoL in this population. These findings may also assist clinicians in profiling their patients and guiding them toward an early and target ed intervention that addresses the associated factors, ultimately improving functionality and QoL of patients.</div></div><div><h3>Perspective</h3><div>This study identifies key clinical and psychosocial factors linked to new-onset chronic pain and reduced quality of life in long-COVID. Understanding these insights may help clinicians implement early, targeted, and interdisciplinary interventions to improve patient functionality and long-term outcomes.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51095,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Pain","volume":"35 ","pages":"Article 105531"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0000,"publicationDate":"2025-08-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Journal of Pain","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1526590025007588","RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"CLINICAL NEUROLOGY","Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Abstract

Chronic pain is highly prevalent in Long-COVID syndrome and significantly impacts quality of life (QoL). Given the complexity of long-COVID, a comprehensive approach is necessary to understand how the interactions of psychosocial, pain and functional factors may influence patients' well-being. This study aimed to explore key factors associated with QoL in long-COVID patients with new-onset chronic pain, and to multidimensionally characterize this population. A case-control design was used, recruiting 163 Long-COVID patients (49.04±8.23 years, 80% females) and 151 controls (48.86±8.28 years, 78% females). Socio-demographic, psychosocial, pain-related and functional outcomes were measured. QoL, assessed by the EQ-5D, was considered the main outcome. Anxiety was negatively associated with QoL (β=−0.012,95%CI:[−0.015, −0.008],p<0.001), while aerobic capacity showed a positive association (β=0.001,95%CI:[0.001,0.002],p<0.001). Employment status (β=0.175,95%CI:[0.091,0.260],p<0.001), pain intensity (β=−0.003,95%CI:[−0.005,−0.001],p=0.004) and symptom complexity (β=−0.32,95%CI:[−0.51,−0.13],p<0.001) were also significant associated factors. The strongest factor associated with being a case was higher levels of symptoms complexity (OR=1.09;95%CI:[1.05, 1.15];p<0.001) followed by higher levels of depression (OR=1.13; 95%CI:[1.04,1.22];p=0.002). Long-COVID patients reported poorer self-perceived QoL and had significantly lower overall QoL, as well as worse outcomes in functional, pain-related and psychosocial variables when compared to control subjects (p<0.001). Clinicians should pay attention to anxiety levels, aerobic capacity, work status and pain intensity early in the course of the disease to try to minimize the loss of QoL in this population. These findings may also assist clinicians in profiling their patients and guiding them toward an early and target ed intervention that addresses the associated factors, ultimately improving functionality and QoL of patients.

Perspective

This study identifies key clinical and psychosocial factors linked to new-onset chronic pain and reduced quality of life in long-COVID. Understanding these insights may help clinicians implement early, targeted, and interdisciplinary interventions to improve patient functionality and long-term outcomes.

查看原文本刊更多论文

新发慢性疼痛长期covid患者生活质量的决定因素

慢性疼痛在长冠状病毒综合征中非常普遍，并显著影响生活质量（QoL）。鉴于新冠肺炎的复杂性，有必要采取综合方法来了解心理社会、疼痛和功能因素之间的相互作用如何影响患者的健康。本研究旨在探讨影响新发慢性疼痛患者生活质量的关键因素，并对该人群进行多维度表征。采用病例对照设计，招募163例长冠患者（49.04±8.23岁，80%为女性）和151例对照组（48.86±8.28岁，78%为女性）。测量社会人口统计学、社会心理、疼痛相关和功能结果。生活质量，由EQ-5D评估，被认为是主要的结果。焦虑与生活质量呈负相关（β= - 0.012,95%CI:[- 0.015, - 0.008],p<0.001），而有氧能力呈正相关（β=0.001,95%CI:[0.001,0.002],p<0.001）。就业状况（β=0.175,95%CI:[0.091,0.260],p<0.001）、疼痛强度（β= - 0.003,95%CI:[- 0.005, - 0.001],p=0.004）和症状复杂性（β= - 0.32,95%CI:[- 0.51, - 0.13],p<0.001）也是显著相关因素。与病例相关的最强因素是症状复杂程度较高（OR=1.09;95%CI:[1.05, 1.15];p<0.001），其次是抑郁程度较高(OR=1.13；95%置信区间:[1.04,1.22];p = 0.002)。与对照组相比，长期covid患者报告的自我感知生活质量较差，总体生活质量显著降低，功能、疼痛相关和社会心理变量的结果也较差（p<0.001）。临床医生应在病程早期关注患者的焦虑水平、有氧能力、工作状态和疼痛强度，以尽量减少这类人群的生活质量损失。这些发现也可以帮助临床医生分析他们的患者，并指导他们进行早期和有针对性的干预，解决相关因素，最终改善患者的功能和生活质量。本研究确定了与新发慢性疼痛和长期covid生活质量下降相关的关键临床和社会心理因素。了解这些见解可以帮助临床医生实施早期、有针对性和跨学科的干预措施，以改善患者的功能和长期预后。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

求助全文

约1分钟内获得全文求助全文

来源期刊

Journal of Pain 医学-临床神经学

CiteScore

6.30

自引率

7.50%

发文量

441

审稿时长

42 days

期刊介绍： The Journal of Pain publishes original articles related to all aspects of pain, including clinical and basic research, patient care, education, and health policy. Articles selected for publication in the Journal are most commonly reports of original clinical research or reports of original basic research. In addition, invited critical reviews, including meta analyses of drugs for pain management, invited commentaries on reviews, and exceptional case studies are published in the Journal. The mission of the Journal is to improve the care of patients in pain by providing a forum for clinical researchers, basic scientists, clinicians, and other health professionals to publish original research.