Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) is the most frequent monogenic kidney disease, alone responsible for over 10% of patients with end-stage renal disease, and with an important impact on public health. Tolvaptan (TOLV) has recently been approved in many European countries for its ability to slow disease progression in patients that are eligible for treatment. Nevertheless, the doctor's choice to prescribe the drug and the patient's compliance are strongly influenced by the aquaretic effect complications. In a cohort of patients pertaining to the Nephrology clinic of the AOU Federico II of Naples and treated with TOLV, we assessed not only the adherence to the treatment and the safety of the drug, but also the real feasibility of this therapy through specific questionnaires on sleep quality, abdominal-renal pain, quality of life and patients' general satisfaction. Within the limits of preliminary data and on the basis of the responses of our population, followed for a period of at least one year and administered the maximum titration dosage, it can be asserted that the doubts regarding the real compliance of the patients can be overcome.
Keywords: ADPKD; Tolvaptan; quality of life; “real life” experience.
Copyright by Società Italiana di Nefrologia SIN, Rome, Italy.