Recent Advances in Treatment for Uremic Pruritus

This review highlights recent advances in pathophysiology and treatment for uremic pruritus, especially focusing on various interventions. Pruritus in patients on hemodialysis (HD) and peritoneal dialysis (PD) still remains an unresolved issue. Recently, the efficacy and safety of nalfurafine hydrochloride have been reported in Japan, and at present, more than thirty thousand patients receive this new drug. In comparison with the efficacy of this new drug, acupuncture, a form of traditional Japanese therapy, has been validated for relief of symptoms of pruritus. In this review, various interventions for relief of symptoms of pruritus as well as recent studies on its pathophysiology will be introduced. This review will be helpful for treatment of pruritus in patients on dialyzed therapy in clinical practice.