A recent study published in The Lancet Regional Health – Southeast Asia has highlighted a significant burden of chronic kidney disease (CKD) among agricultural workers in Tamil Nadu, with nearly half of the affected individuals showing chronic kidney disease of unknown cause (CKDu). CKDu has been increasingly recognized in farming communities globally and is believed to be linked to occupational heat stress and exposure to agrochemicals, among other environmental factors. Study Overview The study evaluated 3,350 agricultural workers across five agroclimatic zones of Tamil Nadu using a systematic sampling approach.
Participants underwent clinical assessment and kidney function testing. Those with reduced estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) on initial testing were reassessed after three months to differentiate persistent CKD from transient kidney function decline. Overall CKD…
