Research reveals high temperature increases kidney stones

A new study has revealed that the warming planet might pose a serious threat in increasing kidney stone.

As mean daily temperature rose above 50 F (10 C), the risk of kidney stone presentation increased in all the cities except Los Angeles. The delay between high daily temperatures and kidney stone presentation was short, peaking within three days of exposure to hot days.

Gregory E. Tasian, M.D., said that these findings point to potential public health effects associated with global climate change and, although, 11 percent of the US population has had kidney stones but it was likely that higher temperatures would increase the risk of kidney stones in those people predisposed to stone formation.

Higher temperatures contribute to dehydration, which leads to a higher concentration of calcium and other minerals in the urine that promote the growth of kidney stones.

The study team also found that very low outdoor temperatures increased the risk of kidney stones in three cities: Atlanta, Chicago and Philadelphia. The authors suggested that as frigid weather keeps people indoors more, higher indoor temperatures, changes in diet and decreased physical activity might raise their risk of kidney stones.

The study's broader context was in patterns of global warming. The authors noted that other scientists have reported that overall global temperatures between 2000 and 2009 were higher than 82 percent of temperatures over the past 11,300 years.

The study is published in the Environmental Health Perspectives, the journal of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.