Fine Particle Air Pollution Linked to Poor Kidney Health

Exposure to higher levels of air pollution was associated with a higher level of albuminuria and higher risk for incident chronic kidney disease, reports a new study. The findings of the study are published in the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.// To investigate, Matthew F. Blum, MD (Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine) and his colleagues examined information on 10,997 adults across four sites in the United States who were followed from 1996-1998 through 2016. The researchers estimated the monthly average levels of tiny particles of air pollution--called fine particulate matter--based on participants' home addresses. Fine particulate matter comes from a variety of sources including fossil fuel combustion, industrial processes, and natural sources.

The team found that exposure to higher amounts of fine particulate matter was associated with a higher degree of albuminuria--a marker of kidney dysfunction--at the start of the study as well as a higher risk of developing chronic kidney disease over time.

"As rates of chronic kidney disease rise worldwide, it is important to understand whether and how exposure to air pollution plays a role," said Dr. Blum.

The authors noted that their findings might be especially important for parts of the world with higher air pollution, such as China and India, where fine particulate matter levels are 5 to 10 times higher than in the United States. Future studies should examine whether efforts to improve air quality yield health benefits, including reducing rates of chronic kidney disease.

Source-Eurekalert