TOPLINE:

Chronic kidney disease-associated pruritus (CKD-aP) affected 24.5% of patients undergoing haemodialysis in Switzerland, with a notable proportion experiencing moderate-to-severe symptoms. Depression was significantly linked to both the prevalence and severity of CKD-aP.

METHODOLOGY:

• Researchers conducted a study to determine the prevalence, severity, and factors associated with CKD-aP among patients who were free of cognitive impairment and had undergone haemodialysis for at least 6 months.
• They included 413 patients with end-stage kidney disease on haemodialysis (mean age, 69.68 years; 34% women) from 15 dialysis centres in Switzerland, 73% of whom had received haemodiafiltration.
• Clinical, sociodemographic, laboratory, and medication data were collected.
• The prevalence and severity of CKD-aP were measured using a screening question and the validated visual analog scale (VAS) and verbal rating scale (VRS).

TAKEAWAY:

• The overall prevalence of CKD-aP among patients undergoing haemodialysis was 24.5%, with 61% of those affected having moderate and 25% having severe symptoms.
• Depression was positively associated with both the prevalence of CKD-aP (P = .007) and its severity as measured using VAS and VRS scores (P < .05 for both).
• Among patients with CKD-aP, higher levels of serum phosphorus, smoking status, and an increased number of prescribed medications were associated with increased itch severity as measured using the VAS.

IN PRACTICE:

"Our findings show that CKD-aP prevalence, while lower than in neighboring countries, still persistently affects one in four Swiss HD [haemodialysis] patients despite the use of modern dialysis techniques, supporting holistic care targeting mental health, smoking, BMI, and polypharmacy," the authors wrote.

SOURCE:

This study was led by Nancy Helou, School of Health Sciences (HESAV), HES-SO University of Applied Sciences and Arts Western Switzerland, Lausanne, Switzerland. It was published online on November 17, 2025, in BMC Nephrology.

LIMITATIONS:

The cross-sectional design of the study prevented the establishment of causal relationships between CKD-aP, depression, and phosphorus levels. The study focused on a 24-hour recall period for symptom assessment, which may have led to lower prevalence estimates. Additionally, the study was limited to a Swiss population with high standards of dialysis care, which may have reduced the generalisability.

DISCLOSURES:

This study received a research grant from Vifor Pharma Switzerland SA and publication support from the University of Lausanne. The authors declared having no competing interests.

This article was created using several editorial tools, including AI, as part of the process. Human editors reviewed this content before publication.