Itchy skin affects the health and quality of life of many patients with kidney disease

New research reveals that pruritus, or itchy skin, affects a substantial percentage of patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). The study, which appears in an upcoming issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (CJASN), also indicates which patients are more likely to experience pruritus, and demonstrates that pruritus may affect quality of life and sleep.

In studies of patients on dialysis, pruritus is common and has various negative effects on health and well-being. To examine the issue in patients with less severe kidney disease, Nidhi Sukul, MD (University of Michigan) and her colleagues provided questionnaires to US, Brazilian, and French patients with stages 3-5 CKD (estimated glomerular filtration rate ? 60 mL/min/1.73 m²) who were not on dialysis.

A total of 3,780 patients answered a question about pruritus. The prevalence of moderate-to-extreme pruritus was 24% and was more likely in older patients, females, and those with non-dialysis stage 5 CKD, lung disease, diabetes, and physician-diagnosed depression. In this questionnaire, compared with patients without pruritus, patients with pruritus indicated poorer mental and physical quality of life and a greater likelihood of experiencing depression and restless sleep. These patient-reported outcomes were progressively worse with increasing severity of pruritus.

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