ISLAMABAD, Feb 22 (APP): Improving air quality may not only help your lungs but also your kidneys, suggests a study.<\/p>\n
Researchers from King’s College London found that ambient fine particulate matter (PM2.5) concentration reduction led to significant improvement in laboratory test results used to assess a patient’s kidney function.<\/p>\n
Long-term exposure to PM2.5 has been associated with declined kidney function. However, whether the association is causal remains unknown,” said Co-author Yiqun Han, Research Associate in School of Public Health, Imperial College London.<\/p>\n
In the study, published in the journal Health Data Science, the team conducted a quasi-experimental difference-in-difference analysis. They identified a strong linkage between the reduced PM2.5 with improved kidney function, Han added.<\/p>\n
The researchers analysed the demographic and laboratory records of 5,115 adults. They investigated the change in kidney function parameters between 2011 and 2015 according to the population’s long-term exposure to PM2.5 derived from an environmental database, weather.com reported.<\/p>\n
The team found that a 10 Ig\/m3 reduction in PM2.5 significantly improved multiple kidney function parameters. Glomerular filtration rate (GFR) increased by 0.42 mL\/min\/1.73m2, blood urea nitrogen (BUN) decreased by 0.38 mg\/dL, and uric acid (UA) decreased by 0.06 mg\/dL, respectively.<\/p>\n
GFR is a test used to check how well the kidneys are working and further the progression of chronic kidney disease.<\/p>\n
Air pollution is known to affect kidney function. Several studies have shown that exposure to bad air is associated with an increased chronic kidney disease-related morbidity and mortality. Exposure to PM2.5, even at relatively low concentrations, is a risk factor for a lower kidney function and a faster decline in kidney function.<\/p>\n
Han suggested the need for rapid air quality improvement driven by the action.<\/p>\n
Besides kidneys, reduction in air pollution may help improve “population health, including cardiorespiratory diseases, metabolic diseases, mental and neurological disorders, and indicators for non-fatal risks (e.g., medical expenditure and disability), in addition to kidney diseases,” he said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
ISLAMABAD, Feb 22 (APP): Improving air quality may not only help your lungs but also your kidneys, suggests a study. Researchers from King’s College London found that ambient fine particulate matter (PM2.5) concentration reduction led to significant improvement in laboratory test results used to assess […]<\/p>\n
\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":38226,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10482],"tags":[17103,17104],"class_list":["post-38224","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-climate-environment-news","tag-reduction-in-air-pollution-can-help-improve-functioning-of-kidney","tag-suggests-new-study"],"yoast_head":"\n