Possible prevention of uremic nausea by vitamin D receptor activators in non-dialysis patients with stage 5 chronic kidney disease

Background: Nausea is a major uremic symptom and a frequent indication for starting dialysis. However, preventive medication for uremic nausea has not yet been identified. Vitamin D receptor activators (VDRAs) may prevent uremic nausea via their pleiotropic actions. The objective of this study was to explore whether VDRA administration during the predialysis period is associated with a reduced prevalence of uremic nausea just prior to beginning dialysis. Methods: A multicenter, retrospective, cross-sectional study was performed to identify a medication to prevent uremic nausea. Patients with stage 5 CKD who were followed-up over 3 months were included. The primary outcomes examined were the prevalence of uremic nausea, congestive heart failure (CHF), and intractable edema at dialysis commencement. The predictor variable was VDRA use during the predialysis period. Results: One thousand five hundred and thirty six patients who had just begun dialysis in nine Japanese facilities between January 2006 and October 2013 were included. Two hundred and thirty (15.0%) patients had commenced dialysis because of uremic nausea, and three hundred and ninety two (25.5%) patients had been using VDRAs before initiating dialysis. Logistic regression analysis showed that, among the medications examined in this study, only VDRA use was independently associated with a lower frequency of uremic nausea (OR 0.512, 95% CI 0.347–0.738, P = 0.0003). On the other hand, CHF and intractable edema were not associated with VDRA administration. Conclusion: Use of VDRAs during the predialysis period was the only factor associated with a lower prevalence of uremic nausea, suggesting that VDRAs may prevent uremic nausea in patients with advanced CKD.