Zhonghua Yi Xue Za Zhi. 2026 Mar 17;106(10):941-947. doi: 10.3760/cma.j.cn112137-20251203-03167.
ABSTRACT
Objective: To determine the prevalence, clinical characteristics, and associated factors of chronic kidney disease-associated pruritus (CKD-aP) among patients undergoing maintenance hemodialysis (MHD). Methods: A multicenter, cross-sectional study was conducted from July to October 2024 via the Jiangsu Provincial Dialysis Information Platform. A total of 39 212 MHD patients were enrolled. CKD-aP was diagnosed if pruritus persisted≥6 weeks after exclusion of other dermatoses, and its severity was graded with the modified Duo pruritus scale. Patients were categorized into mild to moderate pruritus group (1-12 points) and severe pruritus group (>12 points) based on the severity of itching. Demographic, laboratory, and dialysis parameters were collected. Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify independent associated factors, and differences in treatment and comorbidities across pruritus severity groups were compared. Results: Overall, 3 638 patients were diagnosed with CKD-aP, yielding a prevalence of 9.28%; 985 patients (27.08%, 985/3 638) had severe pruritus. Multivariable analysis showed that elevated corrected serum calcium (OR=16.115, 95%CI: 3.215-81.424), hyperphosphatemia (OR=2.568, 95%CI: 1.072-6.100), and lower body mass index (BMI) (OR=0.892, 95%CI: 0.804-0.991) were independently associated with CKD-aP. The severe pruritus subgroup exhibited significantly higher prevalences of sleep disturbance [71.57% (705/985) vs 28.65% (760/2 653)], cardiovascular disease [38.48% (379/985) vs 28.87% (766/2 653)], and cerebrovascular disease [10.66% (105/985) vs 4.07% (108/2 653)] than the mild-to-moderate subgroup (all P<0.001). Topical emollients (27.30%, 993/3 638) and gabapentin (13.80%, 502/3 638) were the most frequently used antipruritic agents, whereas the κ-opioid receptor agonist nalfurafine hydrochloride was used in only 1.35% (49/3 638) of patients. Conclusions: Although the prevalence of CKD-aP among MHD patients in Jiangsu Province is relatively low, a considerable proportion suffers from severe pruritus. The occurrence of CKD-aP is related to calcium-phosphorus metabolic disorder and low BMI. Compared with mild-to-moderate pruritus, patients with severe pruritus showed a higher prevalence of sleep disturbances, cardiovascular disease, and cerebrovascular disease.
PMID:41820058 | DOI:10.3760/cma.j.cn112137-20251203-03167