Health-related quality of life of patients on chronic dialysis: The need for a focused effort.

Health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in patients on chronic hemodialysis has not improved significantly in the last 20 years. This is largely due to their substantial symptom burden which is rarely assessed and treated in routine clinical practice. It also is a consequence of the lack of an appropriate armamentarium for the treatments of such symptoms. Adequate studies on the causes and pathogenesis of the symptoms of hemodialysis patients are needed followed by high quality studies on possible therapeutic pharmacological and nonpharmacological interventions.