Assessment of Renal Function in Drivers Consuming Alcohol and NSAID in Oluyole Local Government Area, Ibadan, Oyo State

Background: There is a strong relationship between alcohol use disorder (AUD) and kidney dysfunction, and it remains a mystery, with little or no research to explain the cause. In this present research, we investigated the impact of alcohol consumption and the use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) on renal function and hypertension prevalence among commercial bus drivers, a more vulnerable occupational group. Methods: This cross-sectional study used commercial bus drivers as participants, and assessed their serum creatinine, urea, potassium, and blood pressure levels. These Participants were grouped based on their alcohol consumption and NSAID use, and statistical analysis was done to determine the associations between these variables and renal function markers. Results: We reported 12.1% of participants to have had a high creatinine level, although no reasonable difference was seen statistically between alcohol consumers and non-consumers. (p>0.05). Hypokalemia was seen in about 42.4% of participants, showing a statistically significant deviation from controls (p<0.001), underscoring the likelihood of alcohol-induced electrolyte imbalances. 15% of participants had hypertension, with age and BMI (>25 kg/m²) presented as significant risk factors. Nevertheless, no statistically significant relationship was seen between hypertension and renal function markers (p>0.05). Conclusion: Although we did not see a notable alteration in the serum creatinine levels of alcohol consumer participants, there were a lot of electrolyte imbalances and hypertension risk, which highlight the urgent need for frequent health checkups, diet checks, and occupational health interventions among commercial bus drivers. Future research endeavors should make use of direct GFR measurement and longitudinal designs to establish causality and identify early markers of alcohol-induced renal dysfunction.