New predictors for peripheral neuropathy found in study of people living with HIV

A study looking at peripheral neuropathy in people living with HIV has found links to both known and new variables including older age, longer duration of HIV infection, exposure to neurotoxic antiretrovirals and other chronic conditions. Dr Wei Tu’s research team at the University of Alberta used machine learning to improve data analysis. They found that the associated factors for peripheral neuropathy in those diagnosed with HIV more than 15 years ago were different to those diagnosed less than 15 years ago.

Peripheral neuropathy is a common condition associated with HIV, affecting 21% in this study, which is a similar rate to other studies globally. Peripheral neuropathy refers to nerve damage that starts furthest from the brain in the feet or hands, but can also affect the legs and arms. Symptoms may be milder in the form of tingling and numbness, or may include walking difficulties and severe pain. There are multiple different types of damage that can occur, which makes it difficult to determine which factors are causing peripheral neuropathy. However, the resulting chronic pain and disability can worsen a person’s quality of life and ability to function, making peripheral neuropathy an important issue.

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