Unpleasant symptoms — arising as a consequence of disease processes, comorbid conditions, therapeutics and lifestyle regimens — adversely affect the quality of life and life participation of patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). This Perspective examines the concept and scope of symptom burden in CKD, theoretical frameworks and validated tools for symptom appraisal, and strategies with which to support patients actively through the identification and targeting of unpleasant symptoms.
- Kamyar Kalantar-Zadeh
- Mark B. Lockwood
- Philip Kam-Tao Li