Association of exposure to salinity in groundwater with chronic kidney disease among diabetic population in Bangladesh

Globally, chronic kidney disease (CKD) is one of the major public health concerns. CKD and renal failure are reported to be high in the areas with higher salinity, however, the association is still unclear. We aimed at assessing the association of degree of groundwater salinity with CKD among diabetic populations of two selected areas in Bangladesh. This cross-sectional analytic study was carried out among 356 diabetic patients aged 40–60 years in high groundwater salinity exposed Pirojpur (n = 151) and non-exposed Dinajpur (n = 205), the southern and northern districts of Bangladesh, respectively. The primary outcome was the presence of CKD (via estimated glomerular filtration rate <60 ml/min) using Modification of Diet in Renal Disease equation. Binary logistic regression analyses were done. In non-exposed (mean age 51.2±6.9 years) and exposed (mean age 50.8±6.9 years) respondents, men (57.6%) and women (62.9%) were predominant, respectively. The proportion of patients with CKD was found to be higher in the exposed group than that of the non-exposed group (33.1% vs. 26.8%; P 0.199). The odds (OR [95% confidence interval]; P) of CKD were not found to be significantly higher in high salinity exposed respondents (1.35 [0.85–2.14]; 0.199), compared to the non-exposed. However, the odds of hypertension were found to be significantly higher in high salinity exposed respondents (2.10 [1.37–3.23]; 0.001), compared to the non-exposed. And, the interaction of high salinity and hypertension showed a significant association with CKD (P = 0.009). In conclusion, the findings suggest that groundwater salinity may not be directly associated with CKD in southern Bangladesh, however, it may have an indirect association with the disorder through the association of hypertension with groundwater salinity. Further large scaled studies are required to answer the research hypothesis more clearly.