Influence of Weather and Air Quality on Clinical Outcomes in End-Stage Kidney Disease: A Retrospective Hospital-Based...

Environmental exposures are recognized as determinants of health, particularly in vulnerable populations such as hemodialysis patients, whose impaired kidney function may heighten susceptibility. This study assesses the association between meteorological and air-pollution factors and the risk of hospital admission and mortality in end-stage kidney disease patients, considering both acute peaks and sustained exposure through weekly and monthly averages. A retrospective cohort of 336 hemodialysis patients treated between 2016 and 2024 at Hospital Universitario Príncipe de Asturias (Madrid, Spain) was analyzed, including 563 admissions and 90 deaths. Time-to-event analyses were conducted separately for mortality and admissions. Cox proportional hazards and parametric survival models (Weibull, log-normal, log-logistic) were applied for mortality, while recurrent-event models (Andersen-Gill, Prentice-Williams-Peterson, frailty) used for admissions. Sulfur dioxide (SO₂) was consistently associated with increased risk in both acute and cumulative exposure models for mortality and admissions. Nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) predicted mortality only in long-term analyses, suggesting a cumulative effect. Solar radiation was linked to accelerated mortality in non-linear models, whereas atmospheric pressure appeared protective for admissions. These findings highlight the influence of environmental exposures, particularly SO₂, on adverse outcomes in hemodialysis patients and support incorporating environmental indicators into clinical risk prediction and public health strategies.