ArticleKidney medicine2026
Gabapentin Utilization and Adverse Effects Among US Hemodialysis Patients Diagnosed With Pruritus or Neuropathic Pain.
Article in Kidney medicine, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.
What it found
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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.
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Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed.
- Efficacy and safety of anrikefon in the treatment of diabetic hemodialysis patients with pruritus: a post hoc analysis.BMC nephrology · 2026Trial
- Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
9 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Rationale & Objective: Gabapentinoids, including gabapentin and pregabalin, are indicated for patients with neuropathic pain and are also prescribed off-label to treat chronic kidney disease-associated pruritus in hemodialysis (HD) patients. With limited data on effectiveness in pruritus and concerns about adverse effects, the risk-benefit profile is controversial. Study Design: A retrospective analysis of registry data. Setting & Participants: A total of 533,232 HD patients from the United States Renal Data System from 2016-2020. Exposures: Gabapentinoid use/dose, updated over time based on prescription changes. Outcomes: Five adverse effects based on ICD-10 codes: altered mental state, dizziness, fracture, falls, somnolence. Analytical Approach: We investigated gabapentinoid utilization patterns and associations between dose and adverse effects using Cox-based recurrent event Anderson-Gill models. Analyses were adjusted for potential confounders and stratified by time-updated diagnosis groups (NP vs pruritus). Results: Among patients with neuropathic pain, 19% used gabapentin with a mean dose 503 mg/day. Among patients with pruritus, 11% used gabapentin with mean dose 433 mg/day. Event rates (per 100 patient-years) for adverse effects were 37.8 for altered mental state, 20.4 for falls, 19.3 for dizziness, 15.2 for somnolence, and 9.3 for fracture. Adjusted models showed a clear dose-response association ( Limitations: Under-ascertainment of pruritus via diagnosis codes; residual confounding. Conclusions: Gabapentinoid utilization patterns differed by diagnosis, with use and doses higher among those with neuropathic pain versus pruritus. Adverse effects-even at low doses-were common, particularly when used off-label in patients with pruritus and no neuropathic pain. With new alternatives available, prescribers should weigh the clinically relevant adverse effects of gabapentinoids when providing treatment options to patients with pruritus.
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