Risk of Chronic Kidney Disease in Pneumoconiosis: Results from a Retrospective Cohort Study (2008-2019)

Background: Pneumoconiosis has considerable comorbidities, most notably pulmonary and cardiovascular diseases. However, the relationship between pneumoconiosis and chronic kidney disease (CKD) is largely unknown. The present study aimed to use a retrospective cohort study design to further clarify the association between pneumoconiosis and subsequent CKD risk. Methods: This is a nationwide, population-based, retrospective cohort study that used data from Taiwan’s National Health Insurance Database. Between 2008 and 2018, 17,952 newly diagnosed patients were included in the pneumoconiosis cohort, while 71,808 individuals without pneumoconiosis were included in the comparison cohort, with a propensity score matching for age, gender, and date of pneumoconiosis diagnosis. The development of CKD was monitored until the end of 2019. The risk was assessed using Cox proportional hazard regression models. Results: After controlling for age, gender, and comorbidity, the overall incidence of CKD was 1.69-fold higher in the pneumoconiosis cohort than in the comparison cohort (19.71 vs. 11.76 per 1000 person-years, respectively, p < 0.001), with an adjusted hazard ratio of 1.83 (95% confidence interval: 1.73−1.93). Stratified analyses by age group, gender, and presence of comorbidity revealed that the adjusted hazard ratios of CKD associated with pneumoconiosis remained significant (8/9). Furthermore, pneumoconiosis and tri-high (hypertension, hyperglycemia, and hyperlipidemia) interact positively with CKD development (p < 0.001). Conclusion: Patients with pneumoconiosis had a significantly higher risk of developing CKD than those without. Pneumoconiosis combined with hypertension, hyperglycemia, or hyperlipidemia would increase the risk even further. More studies are required to understand the possible pathophysiological mechanisms.