Polypharmacy in Patients with CKD

What is it about?

Polypharmacy, defined as the use of multiple pills per day, is very prevalent in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Nevertheless, it is unclear how large of a problem this is, and whether it is associated with a higher risk of important outcomes. In total, 127 studies were included (CKD 3-5 n=39, dialysis: n=38, kidney transplant n=13, different CKD stages n=37). 82% of the patients with CKD had polypharmacy and the pooled mean number of prescribed medications 9.7 pills. The prevalence of polypharmacy was higher in patients who received dialysis or a kidney transplant compared to patients with CKD 3-5, but did not differ between studies with regards to region, or patients’ mean age or sex. Polypharmacy is associated with worse clinical outcomes, lower QoL, and medication-related problems in patients with CKD.

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