Residential proximity to major roadways and renal function

Area of Science:

• Environmental Health
• Nephrology
• Cardiovascular Epidemiology

Background:

• Proximity to major roadways is a known risk factor for cardiovascular events.
• The impact of living near major roadways on renal function remains largely unexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between residential proximity to major roadways and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) in patients with acute ischaemic stroke.

Main Methods:

• Calculated eGFR for 1103 Boston-area patients hospitalized with acute ischaemic stroke (1999-2004).
• Used linear regression to assess the relationship between eGFR and categories of distance to major roadways, adjusting for multiple confounders.
• Analyzed distance as both categorical and continuous variables.

Main Results:

• Patients residing closer to major roadways exhibited significantly lower eGFR.
• A 50m vs. 1000m difference in proximity was associated with a 3.9 ml/min/1.73 m² reduction in eGFR.
• This association was consistent across various demographic and clinical subgroups.

Conclusions:

• Living near major roadways is associated with diminished renal function in acute ischaemic stroke patients.
• These findings suggest that traffic-related exposures may contribute to reduced kidney function, a cardiovascular risk factor.