Khan A, Mushtaq M, Movva G, Sohal A, Yang J. Gastrointestinal disease in end-stage renal disease. World J Nephrol 2025; 14(1): 101917 [DOI: 10.5527/wjn.v14.i1.101917]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Aalam Sohal, MBBS, MD, Academic Fellow, Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Creighton University School of Medicine, 3216 NE 45th Pl Suite 212, Phoenix, AZ 85012, United States. aalamsohal@gmail.com
Research Domain of This Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Article-Type of This Article
Review
Open-Access Policy of This Article
This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
World J Nephrol. Mar 25, 2025; 14(1): 101917 Published online Mar 25, 2025. doi: 10.5527/wjn.v14.i1.101917
Gastrointestinal disease in end-stage renal disease
Ayesha Khan, Muhammad Mushtaq, Giri Movva, Aalam Sohal, Juliana Yang
Ayesha Khan, Muhammad Mushtaq, Giri Movva, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77550, United States
Aalam Sohal, Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Creighton University School of Medicine, Phoenix, AZ 85012, United States
Juliana Yang, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, United States
Co-first authors: Ayesha Khan and Muhammad Mushtaq.
Author contributions: Sohal A and Yang J conceptualized and designed the study, supervised the study, and made critical revisions; Khan A, Mushtaq M, and Movva G conducted the literature review, interpreted the data, created the artwork, and drafted the original manuscript. Khan A and Mushtaq M both contributed equally to the manuscript and are co-first authors.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.
Open Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Aalam Sohal, MBBS, MD, Academic Fellow, Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Creighton University School of Medicine, 3216 NE 45th Pl Suite 212, Phoenix, AZ 85012, United States. aalamsohal@gmail.com
Received: October 1, 2024 Revised: October 24, 2024 Accepted: January 3, 2025 Published online: March 25, 2025 Processing time: 111 Days and 16.7 Hours
Abstract
When kidney function declines to a point where it can no longer maintain life and requires renal replacement therapy (i.e. renal transplant or dialysis), it is called end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Patients with ESRD often experience a range of gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms, with prevalence rates reported as high as 77%-79%. These symptoms and pathologies arise from various factors, including electrolyte imbalance, fluid imbalance, toxin buildup, uremia, medications, dietary and lifestyle restrictions, and the effects of dialysis. GI diseases in patients with renal failure can be further categorized into upper GI, small bowel, and lower GI issues. Common conditions include gastroesophageal reflux disease, nausea and vomiting, dysmotility within the esophagus and stomach, upper GI bleeding, peptic ulcer bleeding, angioectasia, irritable bowel syndrome, mesenteric ischemia, angiodysplasia, diverticular disease, constipation, pancreatitis, and diseases associated with peritoneal dialysis peritonitis and peritoneal stenosis. This review assesses the existing literature on the different GI diseases among individuals with ESRD, shedding light on their pathophysiology and prevalence.
Core Tip: Due to electrolyte imbalance, fluid imbalance, toxin buildup, uremia, medications, dietary and lifestyle restrictions, and the effects of dialysis, patients with renal failure experience gastrointestinal complications with a prevalence of 77%-79%. Common conditions include gastroesophageal reflux disease, nausea and vomiting, dysmotility within the esophagus and stomach, upper gastrointestinal bleeding, peptic ulcer bleeding, angioectasia, irritable bowel syndrome, mesenteric ischemia, angiodysplasia, diverticular disease, constipation, pancreatitis, and diseases associated with peritoneal dialysis peritonitis and peritoneal stenosis.
