Fine Particulate Matter Linked to Increased Prevalence of CKD

WEDNESDAY, Dec. 23, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) is associated with an increased prevalence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and albuminuria in the general population in China, according to a study published online Dec. 17 in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.

Guoxing Li, Ph.D., from the Peking University First Hospital in Beijing, and colleagues examined the association between long-term exposure to ambient PM_2.5 and CKD prevalence in China in a representative sample of 47,204 adults from the China National Survey of CKD. The annual exposure to PM_2.5 was estimated at each participant’s address.

The researchers found that the two-year mean PM_2.5 concentration was 57.4 µg/m³, varying from 31.3 to 87.5 µg/m³. There was a positive association for a 10-µg/m³ increase in PM_2.5 with CKD prevalence (odds ratio, 1.28) and albuminuria (odds ratio, 1.39). These associations were significantly stronger in urban versus rural areas, in men versus women, in participants aged younger than 65 years versus 65 years and older, and in those without versus with comorbidities.

“The risk started to increase at PM_2.5 concentrations well below the Chinese ambient air quality standards, suggesting that air quality control should be more stringent in China,” the authors write. “These findings offer important evidence to inform policymakers and public health practices in lowering the risk of CKD associated with exposure to ambient PM_2.5 pollution.”

Several authors disclosed financial ties to the pharmaceutical industry.

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