Itchy Skin More Likely to Affect Health and Well-being of Many Kidney Disease Patients

by Adeline Dorcas on April 12, 2019 at 12:55 PM

Itchy skin (pruritus) may significantly affect the health and quality of life of many patients with kidney disease, reports a new study.

The prevalence of moderate-to-extreme pruritus in patients with non-dialysis chronic kidney disease was 24 percent and was more likely in older patients, women, and in those with advanced kidney disease, among other health conditions
More severe pruritus was associated with progressively poorer measures of quality of life and a higher likelihood of self-reported depression and restless sleep

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.

Itchy Skin

Itchy skin is an unpleasant skin sensation that urges the person to scratch. The main causes of itchy skin include dandruff, allergic reactions.

‘Kidney disease patients with itchy skin (pruritus) are more likely to have poorer mental and physical quality of life and a higher likelihood of experiencing depression and restless sleep.’
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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 percent and was more likely in older patients, females, and those with non-dialysis stage 5 CKD, lung disease, diabetes, and physician-diagnosed depression.

Itchy Armpits

Itchy skin, also known as "pruritus", is an irritating, discomforting condition. It affect men and women and often cause a great deal of embarrassment.

In this questionnaire, compared with patients without pruritus, patients with pruritus indicated a 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.

"One of the main goals of managing chronic disease is alleviating symptoms; however, this is only possible when we are aware of the suffering patients endure," said Dr. Sukul.

"This research gives us a uniquely international look at how important it is to ask our patients with chronic kidney disease if and how they are affected by pruritus. Some drugs have been shown to largely improve pruritus-related symptoms for a substantial percentage of patients, but even if we do not have a universally effective treatment for pruritus, recognizing that pruritus ails our patients and affects their quality of life will make them feel heard and enhance the patient-physician relationship in discussing approaches that may help provide relief from pruritus."

Source: Eurekalert

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