Kidney stone cases 'could increase with global temperatures'

The increased global temperatures that are the main result of climate change are expected to cause more than droughts, unpredictable weather and crop shortages, according to a new study. The higher numbers of hot days and an increase in dehydration are likely to result in more cases of kidney stones.

The Associated Press has reported on a new study that found a link between hot days and kidney stones. Patient records from Chicago, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Philadelphia and Dallas were included in the study, which found a correlation between daily temperature increases and the number of people needing treatment for kidney stones.  

In all cities apart from Los Angeles, the number of people needing treatment for kidney stones rose with every ten degrees Celsius increase in temperature.

Gregory Tasian, lead author of the study and paediatric urologist and epidemiologist at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, said: "We found that as daily temperatures rise, there is a rapid increase in the probability of patients presenting over the next 20 days with kidney stones."

Researchers compared average daily temperatures between ten and 30 degrees Celsius, which revealed that patients in Chicago experienced a 37 per cent higher chance of developing kidney stones. 

Patients in the other cities also saw a rise in the likelihood of developing the condition, with Atlanta, Dallas and Philadelphia being found to have increased risks of 38 per cent, 37 per cent and 47 per cent, respectively.

In comparison, Los Angeles only saw a small increase in the number of kidney stone cases on hot days, with a rise of just 11 per cent.

It was also discovered that cold temperatures in Chicago, Atlanta and Philadelphia increased the likelihood of patients developing kidney stones.

The study suggests that as climate change becomes more of an issue and global temperatures continue to rise, certain health issues may become more commonplace. 

Currently around ten per cent of the population of the US is thought to suffer from kidney stones, with more men experiencing them than women. This number is likely to rise as the nation is subjected to greater periods of high temperatures.