Air Pollution Alleviation During COVID-19 Pandemic is Associated with Renal Function Decline in Stage 5 CKD Patients

Figures & data

Table 1 Demographic and Health Characteristics of Patients with Stage 5 Chronic Kidney Disease Presenting in 2019 and COVID-19 Pandemic Year 2020

	Year 2019	Year 2020	P value
Number of patients	758	724
Mean age	69.4 ±14.4	69.3 ±14.1	0.571
Men	50.4%	51.2%	0.825
Diabetes mellitus	30.2%	31.7%	0.554
Hypertension	17.3%	16.1%	0.611
Dyslipidemia	19.6%	18.1%	0.523
Smoking	9.5%	9.7%	0.982
Body mass index	24.0 ±6.3	24.3 ±5.2	0.801
Systolic blood pressure	136.3 ±16.6	136.4 ±18.2	0.893
Diastolic blood pressure	71.8 ±11.7	72.2 ±12.5	0.626
Hemoglobin (g/dL)	10.0 ±1.5	10.1 ±1.4	0.781
Blood urea nitrogen (mg/dL)	71.9 ±24.7	72.5 ±26.2	0.710
Serum creatinine (mg/dL)	5.1 ±2.5	5.2 ±2.7	0.871
Estimated glomerular filtration rate^#	10.5 ±3.8	10.2 ±3.7	0.788
Uric acid (mg/dL)	6.3 ±2.1	6.5 ±2.3	0.259
Serum sodium (mEq/L)	138.6 ±4.1	138.7 ±3.6	0.553
Serum potassium (mEq/L)	4.7 ±0.6	4.7 ±0.7	0.763
Serum calcium (mg/dL)	8.7 ±0.8	8.7 ±0.7	0.430
Serum phosphate (mg/dL)	4.7 ±1.0	4.8 ±1.0	0.141
Serum Albumin (g/dL)	4.0 ±0.5	3.9 ±0.5	0.716
Total Cholesterol (mg/dL)	158.4 ±39.9	166.1 ±41.8	0.168
Triglyceride (mg/dL)	138.1 ±69.3	127.4 ±87.9	0.086
LDL cholesterol (mg/dL)	93.3 ±32.6	94.6 ±5.2	0.273
HbA1c (%)	6.5 ±1.3	6.5 ±1.1	0.669
Fasting sugar (mg/dL)	110.0 ±33.2	114.0 ±41.1	0.267

Notes: Quantitative data are presented as mean ± standard deviation. ^#mL/min/1.73 m².

Abbreviation: LDL, low-density lipoprotein.

Figure 1 Comparison of PM_2.5 concentrations in 2019 and 2020 in Taichung area. The average annual concentration of PM_2.5 (A), Cumulative days with PM_2.5 concentration >35 μg/m³ (B), the percentages of PM_2.5 air quality index >150 per station-day (C) in 2019 and 2020.

Table 2 Outcomes of Patients with Stage 5 Chronic Kidney Disease Presenting in 2019 and COVID-19 Pandemic Year 2020

	Year 2019	Year 2020	P value
Number of patients	758	724
eGFR/month	−0.41 ±0.14	−0.30 ±0.11	0.043
Event within 6 months*	46 (6.1%)	21 (2.9%)	0.002
Event within 12 months*	187 (24.6%)	118 (16.3%)	<0.001
Start regular dialysis	158 (20.8%)	101 (14.0%)	0.001

Note: *Event of eGFR decline is defined by an eGFR decrease of ≥5 mL/min/1.73 m².

Figure 2 Comparison of patients with eGFR decline ≥5 mL/min/1.73 m² in 2019 and 2020.