PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Pusan National University study suggests that hospital admissions for acute kidney injury may be linked to air pollution

In a new study, researchers find that increased exposure to air pollution may be associated with first hospital admissions for acute kidney injury

Pusan National University study suggests that hospital admissions for acute kidney injury may be linked to air pollution
2023-05-01
(Press-News.org) Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a clinical syndrome characterized by a decrease in kidney function. AKI is very common in the United States' Medicare population, particularly among hospital intensive care unit (ICU) admissions. Furthermore, AKI is associated with the incidence of end-stage renal disease, which eventually increases the burden of long-term care, higher health-care costs, and increased mortality.

In several instances, kidney diseases have been linked to air pollution exposure. Inhaling air pollutants, including gases like nitrogen dioxide (NO2), ozone (O3), and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) that remains suspended in the air, can cause a decrease in kidney function, damaging the tissues and increasing the risk of AKI. Long-term exposure to these pollutants has been linked to DNA damage in renal tissue sepsis, which ultimately leads to AKI. However, studies on the effects of environmental stressors such as air pollution on AKI are lacking.

To address this gap in research, a team of scientists, including Assistant Professor Whanhee Lee from Pusan National University, performed a population-based study to find out if increased air pollution exposure was responsible for the first hospital admissions of patients with AKI in the United States. “Our study investigated the association between air pollution and first hospital admission for AKI using a national retrospective cohort of more than 61 million Medicare beneficiaries. It provides scientific evidence that the public health benefits of stricter air pollution standards may alleviate the risk of AKI,” says Prof. Lee. Their findings were made available online on 10 April 2023 in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives.

The team analyzed data for over 61 million patients (aged >65 years) who lived in the continental United States from 2000 through 2016 and were enrolled to receive support from Medicare. Their findings confirmed that exposure to PM2.5, NO2, and O3 was associated with an increased risk of first hospital admission for AKI. Interestingly, this association existed even at annual exposures lower than the current National Ambient Air Quality Standard.

Moreover, older adults (>75 years), White people, and those not eligible for Medicare, were found to be more affected by air pollution. The most frequent first hospital admissions for AKI were recorded in the southeastern region, which had the highest levels of PM2.5. In contrast, metropolitan areas such as New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago had the highest levels of NO2, while California had the highest O3 concentration. These data are certainly concerning from the standpoint of public health.

Prof. Lee explains, “Our findings suggest beneficial implications for public health policies to alleviate healthcare expenditures and disease burden attributable to AKI and also provide epidemiological evidence on the value of air pollution guidelines for potential AKI patients.”

The findings of this study could be influenced by the potential confounding effects of underlying health conditions. However, they certainly help “clear the air” on the association between kidney disease and air pollution.

 

***

 

Reference

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP10729

 

About Pusan National University

Pusan National University, located in Busan, South Korea, was founded in 1946, and is now the no. 1 national university of South Korea in research and educational competency. The multi-campus university also has other smaller campuses in Yangsan, Miryang, and Ami. The university prides itself on the principles of truth, freedom, and service, and has approximately 30,000 students, 1200 professors, and 750 faculty members. The university is composed of 14 colleges (schools) and one independent division, with 103 departments in all.    

Website: https://www.pusan.ac.kr/eng/Main.do

 

About Assistant Professor Whanhee Lee

Prof. Whanhee Lee is an Assistant professor at School of Biomedical Convergence Engineering, Pusan National University. He has a Ph.D. in Public Health (Biostatistics major) from Seoul National University and his main research interests include the health impacts of climate change associated with urbanization and inequalities in the socioeconomic and environmental field.

Lab Website: https://www.whanheelee.com/

ORCID id: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5723-9061

END


[Attachments] See images for this press release:
Pusan National University study suggests that hospital admissions for acute kidney injury may be linked to air pollution

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

PLOS expands footprint in Europe with a publishing agreement in Italy

2023-05-01
SAN FRANCISCO —The Public Library of Science (PLOS) is pleased to announce an agreement with the University of Padua to facilitate unlimited publishing across all 12 PLOS titles with no fees for researchers. This agreement encompasses PLOS’ three innovative publishing models, ensuring researchers from the University of Padua to benefit from frictionless, fee-free publishing with PLOS. This agreement represents another in the Europe, following agreements in Germany, Sweden, Ireland and the UK (Jisc). “We are excited to expand our footprint ...

Cognitive impairment after stroke is common, and early diagnosis and treatment needed

2023-05-01
Statement Highlights: More than half of people who survive a stroke develop cognitive impairment within the first year after their stroke, and as many as 1 in 3 may develop dementia within 5 years. The high risk of cognitive impairment and dementia after a stroke suggests early screening is essential for determining initial treatment, such as multidisciplinary care, cognitive rehabilitation or increased physical activity. It’s also important to assess stroke survivors for cognitive changes over time to offer appropriate treatment modifications and support for longer-term care. Cognitive impairment after stroke may fluctuate, particularly ...

The best liquids to maximise antioxidant content in spinach smoothies

The best liquids to maximise antioxidant content in spinach smoothies
2023-05-01
Different market products give very different results when it comes to liberating the antioxidant lutein from spinach in smoothies. Researchers at Linköping University, Sweden, have examined 14 common dairy and plant-based products and found that only four of these increased lutein liberation. Compared to water, some drinks had a negative effect on the lutein content in spinach smoothies.   Most people know that spinach is good for your health. One substance found in, for instance, spinach and kale is lutein. Several experimental studies have shown that lutein can suppress processes linked to inflammation, and there is now ample research indicating ...

Slowing down in your old age? It may be a dementia warning sign.

2023-05-01
It’s generally accepted we will lose muscle strength and slow down as we age, making it more difficult to perform simple tasks such as getting up, walking and sitting down.   But new Edith Cowan University (ECU) research indicates this could also be a signal for another sinister health concern of ageing: late-life dementia.   To investigate the relationship between muscle function and dementia, the research teams from ECU’s Nutrition & Health Innovation Research Institute and Centre for Precision Health used data from the Perth Longitudinal Study of Ageing in Women to examine more than 1000 women with an average age of 75.   In collaboration with the ...

Air pollution exposure associated with increased risk of irregular heartbeat: Large study

2023-05-01
Does air pollution affect your heart? Acute exposure to air pollution was found to be associated with an increased risk of arrythmia — irregular heartbeat — in a large study of 322 Chinese cities published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal) https://www.cmaj.ca/lookup/doi/10.1503/cmaj.220929. The common arrhythmia conditions atrial fibrillation and atrial flutter, which can progress to more serious heart disease, affect an estimated 59.7 million people globally. Air pollution is a modifiable risk factor for heart disease, but the evidence linking it with ...

Study highlights risks for self-harm events in children and adolescents

2023-05-01
The United States is in the midst of a mental health crisis with rising rates of hospitalization for suicide and self-harm events among children and adolescents. A study, “Characteristics Associated with Serious Self-Harm Events in Children and Adolescents,” set to be published in the June issue of Pediatrics, looked at how best to determine which children are at elevated risk for self-harm. Researchers identified four separate profiles to help medical professionals better assess children at elevated ...

Researchers explore why some people get motion sick playing VR games while others don’t

2023-05-01
The way our senses adjust while playing high-intensity virtual reality games plays a critical role in understanding why some people experience severe cybersickness and others don’t. Cybersickness is a form of motion sickness that occurs from exposure to immersive VR and augmented reality applications. A new study, led by researchers at the University of Waterloo, found that the subjective visual vertical – a measure of how individuals perceive the orientation of vertical lines – shifted considerably after participants played a high-intensity ...

Life on land and water teeters between haves and have-nots

Life on land and water teeters between haves and have-nots
2023-04-30
In the race to make the world more livable for people and nature, progress on land outpaced successes in the seas, raising red flags that wealthier countries’ advantages may be upsetting a balance, a Michigan State University study shows. Progress in oceans actually slowed after the United Nations member states adopted the 17 Sustainable Development Goals in 2015. That action aims to facilitate global partnerships among developed and developing countries in sustainable development. So far, though, a new study in the open-access journal iScience reveals evidence that ...

Community health workers in early childhood well-child care for Medicaid-insured children

2023-04-30
About The Study: The intervention examined in this randomized clinical trial resulted in improvements in the receipt of preventive care services versus usual care for children insured by Medicaid by incorporating community health workers in a team-based approach to early childhood well-child care. Authors: Tumaini R. Coker, M.D., M.B.A., of Seattle Children’s Research Institute in Seattle, is the corresponding author. To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website at this link https://media.jamanetwork.com/ (doi:10.1001/jama.2023.7197) Editor’s ...

Prostate cancer in transgender women in the VA health system

2023-04-29
About The Study: This case series demonstrated that prostate cancer occurs in transgender women and is not as rare as published case reports might suggest. However, rates were lower than expected based on prior prostate cancer incidence estimates in cisgender male veterans. Authors: Farnoosh Nik-Ahd, M.D., of the University of California, San Francisco, is the corresponding author. To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website at this link https://media.jamanetwork.com/ (doi:10.1001/jama.2023.6028) Editor’s Note: Please see the ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Amount of sunlight reaching Earth’s surface varies over decades, researchers report

Heart valve abnormality is associated with malignant arrhythmias

Explainable AI for ship navigation raises trust, decreases human error

Study reveals erasing inequality could prevent hundreds of adverse births annually in major UK city

No “uncanny valley” effect in science-telling AI avatars

New UNCG research shows southern shrews shrink in winter

Children exposed to brain-harming chemicals while sleeping

Emotions and levels of threat affect communities’ resilience during extreme events

New CONSORT reporting guidelines published today in five medical journals

Experts stress importance of vaccination amidst measles outbreaks

Enabling stroke victims to 'speak': $19 million toward brain implants to be built at U-M

Study captures sharp uptake in use of new weight loss and glucose-lowering medications

Van Andel Institute to recognize Dr. J. Timothy Greenamyre with 2025 Jay Van Andel Award for Outstanding Achievement in Parkinson’s Disease Research

One firearm injury was treated every 30 minutes in emergency departments in a study of 10 jurisdictions

The gut health benefits of sauerkraut

Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia researchers chart natural history of patients with SCN8A-related disorders

Archaeologists measured and compared the size of 50,000 ancient houses to learn about the history of inequality -- they found that it’s not inevitable

Peptide imitation is the sincerest form of plant flattery

Archaeologists discover historical link between inequality and sustainability

Researchers develop an LSD analogue with potential for treating schizophrenia

How does our brain regulate generosity?

New study reveals wealth inequality’s deep roots in human prehistory

New archaeological database reveals links between housing and inequality in ancient world

New, non-toxic synthesis method for “miracle material” MXene

Cutting-edge optical genome mapping technology shows promise for diagnosis, prognosis, and therapeutic options of multiple myeloma

Study looks at impact of COVID-19 pandemic on rates of congenital heart disease procedures among children

UH researcher unveils new model to evaluate impact of extreme events and natural hazards

Illegal poisonings imperil European raptors and could disrupt ecosystem health

UF professor develops AI tool to better assess Parkinson’s disease, other movement disorders

Computer science professor elected AAAS Fellow

[Press-News.org] Pusan National University study suggests that hospital admissions for acute kidney injury may be linked to air pollution
In a new study, researchers find that increased exposure to air pollution may be associated with first hospital admissions for acute kidney injury