ArticleKidney international reports2025
Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials on Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid Analogues and Opioid-Based Therapies for CKD-Associated Pruritus.
Article in Kidney international reports, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
3 citing papers in PubMed.
- Advances in the clinical applications of sodium thiosulphate.Annals of medicine · 2026Review
- Article
- Beyond the Brain: GABAergic Signaling as a Peripheral Modulator of Skin Barrier Immunity.International journal of molecular sciences · 2026Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
3 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Introduction: Chronic kidney disease (CKD)-associated pruritus (CKD-aP) is one of the most distressing symptoms of patients with CKD, adversely affecting their quality of life and survival. This study aimed to investigate the efficacy and safety of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) analogues and opioid-based therapies in patients with CKD-aP. Methods: The eligible studies were searched from PubMed, Embase, and Scopus up to January 22, 2025. Only randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that reported the treatment effect on pruritus severity scores were included, focusing on both unidimensional scales and multidimensional scales. The results were synthesized using a random-effect model and provided weighted mean difference (WMD) and relative risk (RR) with a 95% confidence interval (CI). Results: A total of 27 RCTs involving 2836 patients with CKD-aP were analyzed. Treatment with GABA analogues was associated with significantly greater reductions in 10-cm visual analog scale (VAS) and 5-D itch scores with nonsignificant increased incidence of adverse events (AEs) or adverse drug reactions (ADRs). In addition, opioid receptor-targeting treatments significantly decreased worst itch numeric rating scale (WI-NRS), 5-D itch, Skindex-10, and 100-mm VAS, but showed significantly higher rates of AEs or ADRs, particularly related to gastrointestinal issues, as well as neurological disorders such as sleep disturbances. Conclusion: Our results suggest that GABA analogues and opioid-based therapies, particularly difelikefalin, have significant potential in alleviating itch intensity and improving the quality of life of patients with CKD-aP. However, opioid-based therapies, especially those involving μ-receptor antagonists such as naltrexone and nalbuphine, are associated with a higher incidence of AEs or ADRs. Given the substantial heterogeneity observed in most of the results, interpretation should be approached with caution.
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Registered trials
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