Abstract / Summary
Abstract Background Neuropathic pain is a common but underrecognized contributor to reduced quality of life and disability in hemodialysis patients, yet prevalence data from the Middle East, including Palestine, remain scarce; this study aimed to estimate the prevalence of a likely neuropathic pain component among hemodialysis patients in the West Bank and examine its associations with pain-related disability and health-related quality of life. Methods This multicenter cross-sectional study enrolled 217 hemodialysis patients across five centers in the West Bank between October and December 2025. A likely neuropathic pain component was defined as a PainDETECT score ≥ 19. Pain-related disability and health-related quality of life were assessed using the Pain Disability Index (PDI) and EQ-5D-5L, respectively. Associations were evaluated using multivariable linear and logistic regression. Results A likely neuropathic pain component was identified in 22 participants (10.1%). Each 1-point increase in PainDETECT score was independently associated with lower EQ-5D-5L index values (B = − 0.035, 95% CI − 0.041 to − 0.029; p < 0.001) and lower EQ-VAS scores (B = − 1.171, 95% CI − 1.542 to − 0.801; p < 0.001), but paradoxically with lower PDI scores (B = − 0.417, 95% CI − 0.725 to − 0.109; p = 0.008). Hemodialysis duration > 5 years was independently associated with more than fivefold higher odds of a likely neuropathic pain component (adjusted OR = 5.558, 95% CI 1.903–16.235; p = 0.002), while diabetes mellitus showed no independent association. Conclusions A likely neuropathic pain component was identified in approximately 1 in 10 hemodialysis patients in the West Bank. Higher PainDETECT scores were independently associated with poorer health-related quality of life, while hemodialysis duration > 5 years was associated with higher odds of a likely neuropathic pain component.