Relationship between Air Pollution and Kidney Failure

Air pollution is not yet done with humanity. A recent research has found a link between kidney failure and air pollution. While previous studies have only managed to link fine particulate matter to health conditions such as stroke and cardiovascular failure, the latest discovery should not come as a surprise. The new study was published in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology. According to the journal, the study was conducted on 2.5 million veterans and span for eight years. According to the Department of Veterans Affairs database, a number of metrics were used. For instance, they used GFR which is glomerular filtration rate. This is metric that is used to measure the way that the kidney functions. The researchers then used data from the Environmental Protection Agency and NASA. They discovered that whenever pollution increased. There was a decrease in GFR which is an indication that the kidney condition was worsening. These pollutants can even enter the blood streams which could lead to the kidney failure condition. At the end of the study, the scientists concluded that the unhealthy population level with kidney problems increased by 44,793 annually while the population of people requiring dialysis increased by 2,438 cases every year.
The senior author in charge of this study was a Washington University in St. Louis assistant professor known as Dr. Ziyard Al-Aly. He still maintained that the leading cases causing the kidney disease were hypertension and diabetes. He noted that despite air being an unrecognized factor, it’s having an effect on the same. The research team was able to realize the same results from all the data offered by NASA. However, while scientists are not marveled by the effects of dirty air on lung, the new discovery of the effects on the kidney opens a new area of study. Through the lungs, it’s possible for tiny particles to enter the bloodstream. Once in the bloodstream, they are then filtered by the kidney. In the process, kidney is exposed to these harmful pollutants. The study also emphasizes that there are no safe levels of air pollution as the damage can be the same. This was also echoed by Dr. Edward Avol who specializes in clinical preventive medicine. He noted that there was no safe level of exposure. The doctor was, however, not part of the study. This new discovery may have solved the problem of chronic kidney failure of unknown origin.