{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,23]],"date-time":"2026-10-23T20:55:31Z","timestamp":1792788931077,"version":"4.5.0"},"reference-count":26,"publisher":"Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health)","funder":[{"name":"National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences","award":["1K12TR004384"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["1K12TR004384"]}],"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/04pw6fb54","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"crossref"}]},{"name":"American Kidney Fund","award":["Clinical Scientist in Nephrology Fellowship"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["Clinical Scientist in Nephrology Fellowship"]}],"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/04hjvcm52","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"crossref"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":["lww.com","ovid.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["CJASN"],"abstract":"\n Key Points<\/jats:title>\n \n \n \n Multiple point-prevalent studies indicate variable prevalence of skeletal muscle cramps in patients on maintenance dialysis.<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:list-item>\n \n This is the first focused meta-analysis of the data highlighting how common cramps occur globally and in subset populations by vintage and modality.<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:list-item>\n \n There is a need for longitudinal and period-prevalent cramp studies to inform how to address skeletal muscle cramps in patients on maintenance dialysis.<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:list-item>\n <\/jats:list>\n <\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Introduction<\/jats:title>\n Skeletal muscle cramping among patients with ESKD receiving dialysis is not uncommon and has been identified by patients as a high priority, bothersome, unaddressed physical symptom. The primary objective of this systematic review was to quantify the global prevalence of skeletal muscle cramps among patients on dialysis.<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Methods<\/jats:title>\n Four databases were searched through September 30th, 2025. All available peer-reviewed observational and nonrandomized experimental studies of nonhospitalized patients receiving dialysis reported in English were included in the analyses, whereas case reports\/series, randomized control trials, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses were excluded. Timing of muscle cramps was dichotomized as overall or intradialytic. Random-effects meta-analysis was conducted to quantify the pooled prevalence of skeletal muscle cramps. Risk of bias was assessed using the Newcastle\u2013Ottawa Scale.<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Results<\/jats:title>\n \n Ninety-four studies reported the prevalence of muscle cramps in 32,223 patients receiving dialysis across 36 countries on five continents. Most studies were performed in patients on hemodialysis (\n n<\/jats:italic>\n =54, 57%), and 16 studies reported the prevalence of intradialytic cramps specifically. The overall pooled prevalence of skeletal muscle cramps was 55% (95% confidence interval, 50% to 59%; 95% prediction interval 20%\u201386%), whereas the pooled intradialytic prevalence of skeletal muscle cramps was 33% (95% confidence interval, 22% to 47%; 95% prediction interval, 4%\u201387%). The prevalence of muscle cramps was higher among patients receiving hemodialysis versus peritoneal dialysis, new\/incident versus prevalent patients, and a 4-week versus 1-week survey recall period, with significant between-study heterogeneity. Most studies (\n n<\/jats:italic>\n =50, 53%) were identified as having a moderate risk of bias.\n <\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Conclusions<\/jats:title>\n The global overall pooled prevalence of muscle cramps among patients receiving dialysis was high (55%), although there were considerable between-study heterogeneity and risk of bias. Our findings highlight the complexity of quantifying skeletal muscle cramps among patients on dialysis and offer insights into specific subpopulations and methods of symptom ascertainment for future epidemiologic, pathophysiologic, and therapeutic studies.<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.2215\/cjn.0000001169","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,3]],"date-time":"2026-08-03T16:01:01Z","timestamp":1785772861000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1097\/lww.0000000000001000","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Skeletal Muscle Cramp Prevalence among Patients Receiving Dialysis"],"prefix":"10.2215","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6652-1309","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Seda","family":"Babroudi","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, Tufts Medical Center, Boston, 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