Effects of residential greenness on clinical outcomes of patients with chronic kidney disease: a large-scale observation study

Background As industrialization and urbanization are accelerating, the distribution of green areas is decreasing, particularly in developing countries. Since the 2000s, the effects of surrounding greenness on self-perceived health, including physical and mental health, longevity, and obesity have been reported. However, the effects of surrounding green space on chronic kidney disease are not well understood. Therefore, we investigated the impact of residential greenness on the mortality of chronic kidney disease patients and progression from chronic kidney disease to end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Methods Using a large-scale observational study, we recruited chronic kidney disease patients (n = 64,565; mean age, 54.0 years; 49.0% of male) who visited three Korean medical centers between January 2001 and December 2016. We investigated the hazard ratios of clinical outcomes per 0.1-point increment of exposure to greenness using various models. Results During the mean follow-up of 6.8 ± 4.6 years, 5,512 chronic kidney disease patients developed ESRD (8.5%) and 8,543 died (13.2%). In addition, a 0.1-point increase in greenness reduced all-cause mortality risk in chronic kidney disease and ESRD patients and progression of chronic kidney disease to ESRD in a fully adjusted model. The association between mortality in ESRD patients and the normalized difference vegetation index was negatively correlated in people aged >65 years, who had normal weight, were nonsmokers, and lived in a nonmetropolitan area. Conclusion Chronic kidney disease patients who live in areas with higher levels of greenness are at reduced risk of all-cause mortality and progression to ESRD.