Climate change will lead to more kidney stones: study

Rising temperatures from climate change will lead to more kidney stone cases, a new study has found.

Dr. Gregory Tasian is a pediatric urologist at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and the lead author of the study, which was published Monday in the peer-reviewed journal Scientific Reports.

“While it is impossible to predict with certainty how future policies will slow or hasten greenhouse gas emission and anthropogenic climate change… our analysis suggests that a warming planet will likely cause an increased burden of kidney stone disease on healthcare systems,” Dr. Tasian said in a press release.

Kidney stones are hard mineral deposits that can be very painful when passed through the urinary system. They can form for a variety of reasons, including diet, genetics, obesity and taking certain medications and supplements. According to the study, heat also plays a factor.

“It is well established that high ambient temperatures increase the risk of developing kidney stone disease and presenting with acute, symptomatic stones,” the study explained. “One proposed mechanism is that higher evaporative water losses leads to more concentrated urine, creating an environment in which crystallization of calcium, oxalate, uric acid, and phosphate is more likely.”