Why does a climate change mean more kidney stones?
US researchers say that kidney stones may become more common as the temperature rises across North America and causes more people to become dehydrated. The study is the work of researchers at the University of Texas (UT) Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, and is published in the 15th July issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). Kidney stone incidence is higher in the warmer parts of the US and the southeast in particular, presumably because of fluid loss in warmer climates. The researchers suggest that by 2050, incidence across the US could go up by as much as 30 per cent in the most affected areas, causing an additional 1.6 to 2.2 million cases. Dr Margaret Pearle, professor of urology at UT Southwestern and senior author of the paper said: “This study is one of the first examples of global warming causing a direct medical consequence for humans.” “There is a known geographic variation in stone disease that has been attributed to regional differences i
Climate Change Means More Kidney Stones By Brandon Keim Global warming will stoke the scourges of malaria, dengue fever, hantavirus and kidney stones. Kidney stones? It seems an odd affliction to include on the list of climate change-related health problems, which usually run to contagious diseases and shortages of food and water. But in a study published today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers predict that rising temperatures will make kidney stones more common. By 2050, say University of Texas urologists Tom Brikowski and Margaret Pearle, most Americans will live in areas considered high-risk zones for the painful deposits, caused when minerals crystallize into chunks too large leave the bladder. The findings point not only to higher frequencies of an an ordeal that some compare to giving birth, but to the complexity of climate change and health. “We’re always hearing about vector-borne diseases, about how climate change will influence the environmen
