The correlation between traditional Chinese medicine constitutions and chronic kidney disease-associated pruritus among hemodialysis patients in Macau

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) constitutions are associated with susceptibility to certain diseases. Studying the types of TCM constitutions associated with diseases helps to predict the occurrence, progression, and prognosis of these diseases. This study is the first to explore the correlation between deficiency constitution, excess constitution, and chronic kidney disease-associated pruritus (CKD-aP). This cross-sectional study was conducted between January and June 2023 at Kiang Wu Hospital. Patients undergoing hemodialysis were interviewed using a questionnaire to collect sociodemographic data and assess pruritus and the TCM constitution. The correlation between body constitution and CKD-aP levels was also analyzed. Of 162 patients analyzed, 78 (48.2%) had a balanced constitution, 49 (30.2%) had a deficient constitution, and 35 (21.6%) had an excess constitution. Both deficiency and excess constitutions were statistically significant in the occurrence of CKD-aP. After adjusting for all possible confounding factors, the analysis showed that compared to the balanced constitution, deficiency constitution (OR = 2.22, 95% CI = 1.025-4.806) and excess constitution (OR = 2.695, 95% CI = 1.091-6.658) significantly increased the likelihood of CKD-aP. A deficient constitution mainly affects the duration, degree, disability, and distribution of pruritus, whereas an excess constitution affects the degree and disability. Both deficiency and excess constitutions were correlated with the occurrence of CKD-aP. Different constitution types affect pruritus differently, necessitating further precise analysis of the interaction between constitution types and pruritus occurrence.