Epidemiologists from the Texas A&M University School of Public Health have established a correlation between arsenic and indicators related to kidney illness.

Their research, drawing on U.S. population-wide data, discovered a relationship between increased urinary arsenic concentrations and heightened probabilities of albuminuria (the occurrence of a protein typically present in the blood) and hyperuricemia (increased serum uric acid concentrations in the bloodstream).

“Prior research has identified a positive relationship between arsenic exposure and kidney impairment or diminished kidney function. Our research further substantiates this association by investigating urinary arsenic concentrations and chronic kidney illness using extensive U.S. population data,” proclaimed Taehyun Roh, Ph.D., who oversaw the research.

He emphasized that this is significant considering approximately 37 million individuals in the United States — roughly one in seven — are afflicted with chronic kidney disease, and this figure is on the rise both domestically and globally.

Arsenic is naturally found in the earth’s crust and environment, with most individuals encountering it through tainted water. Long-term arsenic exposure is also linked to numerous cancers, dermal conditions, and cardiovascular disorders.

“Our research was crucial as kidneys are especially susceptible, enduring cellular damage, inflammation, and lipid peroxidation as a result of prolonged arsenic exposure,” declared Nishat Tasnim Hasan, who directed the research. “Nonetheless, a strong link between arsenic exposure and kidney ailments has not been unequivocally determined.”

To examine any connections between urinary arsenic concentrations and kidney impairment, the team employed a multi-marker strategy utilizing data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) encompassing 9,057 adults from 2007 to 2018. The latest data cycle (2019–2020) was omitted due to the COVID-19 pandemic disrupting the intricate sample collection procedures, compromising the national representativeness of the data.

The researchers utilized multivariate logistic regression models to calculate the odds ratios for kidney impairment based on overall urinary arsenic levels and several kidney biomarkers while accounting for diverse sociodemographic and risk variables. The biomarkers for kidney deterioration included albuminuria, hyperuricemia, elevated blood urea nitrogen, and reduced estimated glomerular filtration rate.

The research indicated a 29 percent higher likelihood of overall kidney impairment in individuals situated in the highest quartile of urinary arsenic in comparison to those in the lowest quartile. Regarding specific components, albuminuria and hyperuricemia were linked to 49 percent and 38 percent increased odds, respectively. Furthermore, when analyzing arsenic concentrations in drinking water as a continuous variable, each one-unit rise in the natural logarithm of arsenic levels showed a significant correlation with these indicators.

“Communities confronting socioeconomic obstacles frequently endure a greater incidence of kidney disease due to factors like limited access to healthcare, food insecurity, and other social determinants of health,” Hasan mentioned. “Thus, it is vital to incorporate these factors as covariates in a study of substantial, nationally representative data, and our methodology enabled us to extend our findings to the entire U.S. population.”

Hasan noted that this study possessed multiple additional strengths: it mitigated the influence of arsenic found in seafood, employed a multi-marker strategy to evaluate kidney damage, and pinpointed potential risk factors that hold further implications for both chronic kidney disease and kidney cancer.

The study’s cross-sectional approach, which assessed participants’ exposures and outcomes simultaneously, however, implies that the researchers could not establish cause-and-effect relationships.

“From a public health perspective, our findings reveal that arsenic in drinking water endangers vulnerable populations—particularly those who depend on groundwater,” Roh stated. “From a policy perspective, they emphasize the necessity for more stringent monitoring and policies focused on lessening arsenic exposure and enhancing public understanding of the dangers posed by arsenic exposure to kidney health.”

This research was backed by the Houston Methodist Cancer Center, the Robert and Janice McNair Foundation, and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. Alongside Hasan and Roh, the research cohort included Garett Sansom, Xiaohui Xu and Daikwon Han.