Indians at higher kidney disease risk due to air
pollution
Researchers have found that people living in countries
with higher levels of air pollution such as India and China may face
higher risks of developing kidney diseases. The findings
may be especially important for parts of the world with higher air pollution
where fine particulate matter levels are five to 10 times higher than in the
US, the study said.
It’s known that breathing in air pollution can have
detrimental health effects beyond the lungs, but few studies have shown how it
impacts the kidneys, which act as filters for the blood. “As rates of chronic
kidney disease rise worldwide, it is important to understand whether and how
exposure to air pollution plays a role,” said study researcher Matthew F. Blum
from the Johns Hopkins University in the US.
For the findings, published in the Clinical
Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, the research team examined
information on 10,997 adults across four sites in the US 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, they said. 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 — as well as a higher risk of developing chronic
kidney disease over time. According to the researchers, future studies should
examine whether efforts to improve air quality yield health benefits, including
reducing rates of chronic kidney disease.
02.03.2020
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