Constitutional Symptoms and Health-Related Quality of Life in Patients with Symptomatic HIV Disease

Purpose: To assess the severity of constitutional symptoms in persons with human immunodeficiency
virus (HIV) infection, and their relationship to health-related quality of life (HRQOL).

Patients and Methods: Two hundred five HIV-infected patients (93% male, 26% African
American, 28% Latino, 39% white, 7% other ethnicity) with diarrhea, fever, or weight
loss were studied at a county hospital and a Veterans Administration hospital in southern
California. Consenting subjects were administered a battery that included 11 scales
measuring various aspects of health-related quality of life and detailed questions
about six constitutional symptoms or symptom complexes (myalgias, exhaustion, anorexia/nausea/vomiting,
night sweats, fever, and weight loss) as well as about other manifestations of HIV
disease.

Results: Constitutional symptoms except weight loss were all strongly related to all
measures of quality of life. On 0 (worst) to 100 (best) point scales, mean scores
ranged from 34 (for individuals having all five symptoms other than weight loss) to
78 (for those with none) for physical function, 43 to 79 for emotional well-being,
and 36 to 73 for social function. Adjustment for helper T-lymphocyte counts, duration
of illness, and demographic characteristics did not diminish these associations.

Conclusion: The presence, number, and severity of constitutional symptoms in HIV disease
is strongly related to health-related quality of life in symptomatic HIV-infected
individuals. Identifying and treating these very common symptoms has the potential
to improve quality of life in these patients.