Exposure to air pollution and renal function

Abstract

Air pollution contributes to the premature death of approximately 428,000 citizens of Europe every year. The adverse effects of air pollution can be observed in respiratory, circulatory systems but also in renal function. We decide to investigate the hypothesis indicating that we can observe not only long- but also short-term impact of air pollution on kidney function. We used linear, log-linear, and logistic regression models to assess the association between renal function and NO2, SO2, and PMs. Results are reported as beta (β) coefficients and odds ratios (OR) for an increase in interquartile range (IQR) concentration. 3554 patients (median age 66, men 53.2%) were included into final analysis. Chronic kidney disease (CKD) was diagnosed in 21.5%. The odds of CKD increased with increase in annual concentration of PM2.5 (OR for IQR increase = 1.07; 95% CI 1.01–1.15, P = 0.037) and NO2 (OR for IQR increase = 1.05; 95% CI 1.01–1.10, P = 0.047). The IQR increase in weekly PM2.5 concentration was associated with 2% reduction in expected eGFR (β = 0.02, 95% CI − 0.03; − 0.01). Medium- and short-term exposure to elevated air pollution levels was associated with a decrease in eGFR and development CKD. The main pollutants affecting the kidneys were PM2.5 and NO2.

Contemporary understanding of the risk factors for chronic kidney disease in cold area

“…Zhang N H [113] China Observational cohort 4 604 Activity 13 years Activity is associated with lower mortality in CKD Lukasz K [114] Korea retrospective cross-sectional study 3 554 Air pollution 10 years…”

The European Green Deal and nephrology: a call for action by the European Kidney Health Alliance

“…pesticides), is a cause of CKD, mainly among manual workers [8]. Air pollution [mainly fine dust (≤2.5 μm particulate matter), sulphur dioxide (SO 2 ) and nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ), all of which are associated with the burning of fossil fuels], has been associated with a higher risk of kidney disease [9] and related comorbidities [10,11]. Furthermore, the increasing severity of hurricanes, floods and blizzards may interfere with the functioning of hospitals.…”

Short-term exposure to fine particulate matter and its constituents may affect renal function via oxidative stress: A longitudinal panel study

“…As a metabolic organ that maintains the fluid and acid-base balance, the filtration and concentration function of kidney make it vulnerable to environmental pollutants ( Xu et al, 2018 ). Several pivotal blood renal function parameters were reported to be significantly associated with PM 2.5 ( Rahmani Sani et al, 2020 ; Wu et al, 2020 ; Zhao et al, 2020 ; Kuźma et al, 2021 ; Li et al, 2021 ). For example, a cross-sectional study among 2.5 million young adults reported that each 10 μg/m 3 increment of PM 2.5 in 3-years average exposure was associated with 0.85% decrease of eGFR ( Li et al, 2021 ).…”