Particulate matter air pollution linked to kidney disease risk
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Exposure to a higher amount of particulate matter air pollution was associated with an increased level of albuminuria, as well as a greater risk for chronic kidney disease, according to recently published findings.
Particulate matter air pollution comes from a variety of sources including fossil fuel combustion, industrial processes and natural sources, according to Matthew F. Blum, MD, an internal medicine resident, Osler Medical Residency, at Johns Hopkins Hospital. As he told Healio Nephrology, when people breathe fine particulate matter it can cause a dysregulated inflammatory or autonomic response. Furthermore, “these particles may also be small enough to enter the bloodstream directly and affect organs such as the kidneys, which act as filters for the blood.”
Blum argued that while “prior studies have shown that breathing particulate matter air pollution can have detrimental health effects beyond the lungs, fewer studies have shown how air pollution affects kidney health. As rates of chronic kidney disease rise worldwide, it is important to understand how exposure to air pollution may contribute to this.”
To investigate, Blum and colleagues included 10,997 participants in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities study, estimating monthly mean PM2.5 concentrations with a model that included meteorological and geospatial covariates. Researchers determined the associations between annual PM2.5 exposure and eGFR, urinary albumin-creatinine ratio (UACR) and incident CKD. For the analyses of incident CKD, only participants with eGFR of greater than 60 mL/min/m2 were included, leading to a cohort of 10,302.
After a median follow-up of 17.7 years, researchers observed each 1-ug/m3 higher annual average PM2.5 was associated with higher UACR (percentage difference, 6.6%). In addition, each 1-ug/m3 higher annual average PM2.5 was associated with a significantly higher risk of incident CKD (hazard ratio, 1.05; 2,816 total cases). No associations were found between PM2.5 exposure and eGFR.
“These findings support the role of fine particulate matter exposure as a potential risk factor for CKD and suggest fine particulate matter mitigation efforts as a potential avenue for reducing CKD burden,” Blum said, adding these results may be “especially important in parts of the world with higher levels of fine-particulate matter air pollution.” He suggested future research should be aimed at determining “whether efforts to improve air quality yield health benefits, including reducing the burden of CKD.” – by Melissa J. Webb
Disclosure: Blum reports no relevant financial disclosures.
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