A new study has revealed that air pollution increases the risk of fatal kidney diseases.
According to the research, poor air quality is directly linked to chronic kidney disease, sudden kidney failure, and hospital admissions caused by kidney failure.
The study was conducted in the Brazilian city of São Paulo from 2011 to 2021 and included data from 37,000 individuals.
According to the findings, the risk of kidney disease increased significantly among people aged 19 to 50 years, while among individuals aged 51 to 75 years, the risk was found to be 2.5 times higher.
The risk of hospital admission was higher among men compared to women, while this trend was not clearly observed among women.
According to Professor Lucia Andrade, particulate matter can enter the bloodstream and accumulate in kidney tissues, where the immune system identifies it as a foreign substance and reacts against it. This leads to inflammation, fibrosis, and factors associated with premature aging.
The disease often progresses without symptoms, and patients remain unaware until the kidneys are close to failure.
During the study, the average level of air pollution was three times higher than the limit set by the World Health Organization.
However, experts said that even low levels of pollution are associated with the risk of kidney diseases.
Lead researcher Dr. Iara da Silva said the findings showed that hospital admissions related to kidney diseases were observed even within the pollution limits set by the World Health Organization. She added that there is a need to further tighten policies aimed at reducing air pollution.
