Even a bit of air pollution could damage your kidneys
Even levels below the limit set by the EPA were harmful to the kidneys. This suggests that there is no safe level of air pollution, says an expert.
Trending Photos
New York: Besides, negative effects on cardiovascular health and life expectancy, increased exposure to air pollution may also harm your kidneys, researchers warn.
"Even levels below the limit set by the EPA were harmful to the kidneys. This suggests that there is no safe level of air pollution," said Ziyad Al-Aly, Director at the VA Saint Louis Health Care System in Missouri, US.
"Our findings demonstrate a significant association between exposure to PM2.5 and risk of incident CKD, eGFR decline, and ESRD," Al-Aly added.
When we breathe, tiny particles present in the dirty air pass through our lungs and enter our bloodstream to finally reach kidneys.
Kidneys -- our body's main filters -- sift these particles out of the blood. However, excess exposure to these harmful pollutants reduces the efficacy of the process, Al-Aly explained.
For the study, which will appear in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (JASN), the team examined information on 2,482,737 US veterans who were followed for a median of 8.5 years. Air pollution levels were also assessed using space-borne sensors from NASA satellites.
The researchers found a linear relationship between air pollution levels and risk of experiencing kidney function decline and of developing kidney disease or kidney failure.
Stay informed on all the latest news, real-time breaking news updates, and follow all the important headlines in india news and world News on Zee News.
Advertisement
Live Tv
Advertisement