What Effects Does Smoking Have on the Kidneys?

The effects of smoking on the lungs and cardiovascular system are well-known. Less publicized remains the impact that smoking has on the kidneys. Smokers have an increased risk of kidney disease and cancer, according to the National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse (NKUDIC).

Kidney Disease

• Smoking increases the likelihood of developing chronic kidney disease, and increases the risk of death from stroke and heart attack among people who already have kidney disease, according to the NKUDIC.

Reduction in MAO-B

• Smoking decreases monoamine oxidase B, an enzyme which promotes health throughout the body. In a study by the Brookhaven National Laboratory in New York, levels of MAO-B in the kidneys average between 33 and 46 percent lower among smokers.

Cancer

• Tobacco use also increases the risk of renal cell carcinoma, also known as kidney cancer, according to the National Cancer Institute.

Causes

• When the lungs absorb the carcinogens in tobacco smoke into the bloodstream, these chemicals become concentrated in the kidneys as they try to filter the blood.

Quitting

• Quitting smoking greatly reduces your risk of developing kidney problems. But it can take years for the body to return to its pre-smoking health.